diff --git a/src/commands.py b/src/commands.py
index 6f4675679..ca079d7a0 100644
--- a/src/commands.py
+++ b/src/commands.py
@@ -211,7 +211,10 @@ def _int(s):
         return int(s, base)
     except ValueError:
         if base == 10:
-            return int(float(s))
+            try:
+                return int(float(s))
+            except OverflowError:
+                raise ValueError('I don\'t understand numbers that large.')
         else:
             raise
 
diff --git a/test/test_commands.py b/test/test_commands.py
index 290ae5c93..31c9a04fc 100644
--- a/test/test_commands.py
+++ b/test/test_commands.py
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class GeneralContextTestCase(CommandsTestCase):
     def testSpecInt(self):
         self.assertState(['int'], ['1'], [1])
         self.assertState(['int', 'int', 'int'], ['1', '2', '3'], [1, 2, 3])
+        self.assertError(['int'], ['9e999'])
 
     def testSpecNick(self):
         strict = conf.supybot.protocols.irc.strictRfc()