diff --git a/changes/int-min-literal.md b/changes/int-min-literal.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..134ada1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/int-min-literal.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+bump: patch
+type: fix
+**The most negative int is emitted as itself.** The compiler's `itoa` negated a negative value before
+taking its digits, and `-(-2147483648)` overflows back to itself, so a literal such as `0x80000000` in an
+int (`b & 0x80000000`) was written into the IR as a bare `-` and the build failed in LLVM. The digits are
+now taken off the value as it is. Needs a reseed to reach `bin/ludicc`.
diff --git a/examples/lang/int_min_literal.ludic b/examples/lang/int_min_literal.ludic
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba6bd055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/lang/int_min_literal.ludic
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# int_min_literal.ludic - a literal that lands on the most negative int (0x80000000 in an int) is
+# emitted as -2147483648. It once came out as a bare "-", invalid IR. Prints `-2147483648 -1 1`.
+program IntMinLiteral {
+  entry {
+    let x = len(Os.args()) - 5
+    let top = x & 0x80000000
+    let low = x | 0x7FFFFFFF
+    print(`{top} {low} {(x & 0x80000000) != 0}`)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/selfhost/support/str.ludic b/selfhost/support/str.ludic
index 850d3106..b648c53a 100644
--- a/selfhost/support/str.ludic
+++ b/selfhost/support/str.ludic
@@ -20,12 +20,19 @@ function str_starts(s: pointer, prefix: pointer) -> bool {
 # integer -> fresh decimal string
 function itoa(v: int) -> pointer {
   if v == 0 { let z = bytes(2); z[0] = '0'; z[1] = 0; return z }
-  var neg = false
+  # digits are taken off v as it is, never off -v: the most negative int has no positive twin, and
+  # -v overflowed back to itself, so a 0x80000000 in an i32 was emitted as a bare "-"
+  let neg = v < 0
   var x = v
-  if x < 0 { neg = true;  x = -x }
-  let tmp = bytes(16)
+  let tmp = bytes(24)
   var n = 0
-  while x > 0 { tmp[n] = 48 + x % 10;  x /= 10;  n += 1 }
+  while x != 0 {
+    var d = x % 10
+    if d < 0 { d = -d }
+    tmp[n] = 48 + d
+    x /= 10
+    n += 1
+  }
   var total = n
   if neg { total += 1 }
   let out = bytes(total + 1)