diff --git a/usr.bin/m4/eval.c b/usr.bin/m4/eval.c
--- a/usr.bin/m4/eval.c
+++ b/usr.bin/m4/eval.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@
 	 */
 	{
 		int base = 10;
-		int maxdigits = 0;
+		int mindigits = 0;
 		const char *errstr;
 
 		if (argc > 3 && *argv[3] != '\0') {
@@ -189,14 +189,14 @@
 			}
 		}
 		if (argc > 4) {
-			maxdigits = strtonum(argv[4], 0, INT_MAX, &errstr);
+			mindigits = strtonum(argv[4], 0, INT_MAX, &errstr);
 			if (errstr) {
-				m4errx(1, "expr: maxdigits is %s: %s.",
+				m4errx(1, "expr: mindigits is %s: %s.",
 				    errstr, argv[4]);
 			}
 		}
 		if (argc > 2)
-			pbnumbase(expr(argv[2]), base, maxdigits);
+			pbnumbase(expr(argv[2]), base, mindigits);
 		break;
 	}
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/m4/misc.c b/usr.bin/m4/misc.c
--- a/usr.bin/m4/misc.c
+++ b/usr.bin/m4/misc.c
@@ -138,8 +138,6 @@
 	}
 	while ((num /= base) > 0);
 
-	if (n < 0)
-		printed++;
 	while (printed++ < d)
 		pushback('0');
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/m4/tests/eval.m4 b/usr.bin/m4/tests/eval.m4
--- a/usr.bin/m4/tests/eval.m4
+++ b/usr.bin/m4/tests/eval.m4
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@
 eval(224&127)
 eval(224|127)
 eval(224&&127)
+eval(3-2, 10, 5)
+eval(2-3, 10, 4)
diff --git a/usr.bin/m4/tests/regress.eval.out b/usr.bin/m4/tests/regress.eval.out
--- a/usr.bin/m4/tests/regress.eval.out
+++ b/usr.bin/m4/tests/regress.eval.out
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 96
 255
 1
+00001
+-0001