diff --git a/api/controllers/arithmeticController.js b/api/controllers/arithmeticController.js
index b67886a8c4..0fccf513d7 100644
--- a/api/controllers/arithmeticController.js
+++ b/api/controllers/arithmeticController.js
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ exports.calculate = function(req, res) {
   // Validate operands
 
   if (! req.query.operand1 ||
-      ! req.query.operand1.match(/^(-)?[0-9\.]+$/) ||
-      req.query.operand1.replace(/[-0-9]/g, '').length > 1) {
+      ! req.query.operand1.match(/^(-)?[0-9\.]+(e(-)?[0-9]+)?$/) ||
+      req.query.operand1.replace(/[-0-9e]/g, '').length > 1) {
     throw new Error("Invalid operand1: " + req.query.operand1);
   }
 
   if (! req.query.operand2 ||
-      ! req.query.operand2.match(/^(-)?[0-9\.]+$/) ||
-      req.query.operand2.replace(/[-0-9]/g, '').length > 1) {
+      ! req.query.operand2.match(/^(-)?[0-9\.]+(e(-)?[0-9]+)?$/) ||
+      req.query.operand2.replace(/[-0-9e]/g, '').length > 1) {
     throw new Error("Invalid operand2: " + req.query.operand2);
   }
 
diff --git a/test/arithmetic.js b/test/arithmetic.js
index eee242fcf1..05f812055f 100644
--- a/test/arithmetic.js
+++ b/test/arithmetic.js
@@ -91,6 +91,14 @@ describe('Arithmetic', function() {
               done();
           });
     });
+    it('adds with negative exponent', function(done) {
+      request.get('/arithmetic?operation=add&operand1=1.2e-5&operand2=-1.2e-5')
+          .expect(200)
+          .end(function(err, res) {
+              expect(res.body).to.eql({ result: 0 });
+              done();
+          });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Subtraction', function() {
@@ -177,6 +185,14 @@ describe('Arithmetic', function() {
               done();
           });
     });
+    it('multiplies supporting exponential notation', function(done) {
+      request.get('/arithmetic?operation=multiply&operand1=4.2e1&operand2=1e0')
+          .expect(200)
+          .end(function(err, res) {
+              expect(res.body).to.eql({ result: 42 });
+              done();
+          });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Division', function() {