diff --git a/fastdoubleparser-dev/src/main/java/ch.randelshofer.fastdoubleparser/ch/randelshofer/fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMath.java b/fastdoubleparser-dev/src/main/java/ch.randelshofer.fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMath.java
similarity index 89%
rename from fastdoubleparser-dev/src/main/java/ch.randelshofer.fastdoubleparser/ch/randelshofer/fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMath.java
rename to fastdoubleparser-dev/src/main/java/ch.randelshofer.fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMath.java
index fb5022c4..ff61477d 100644
--- a/fastdoubleparser-dev/src/main/java/ch.randelshofer.fastdoubleparser/ch/randelshofer/fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMath.java
+++ b/fastdoubleparser-dev/src/main/java/ch.randelshofer.fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMath.java
@@ -91,12 +91,17 @@ static NavigableMap<Integer, BigInteger> createPowersOfTenFloor16Map() {
         return powersOfTen;
     }
 
-    public static long estimateNumBits(long numDecimalDigits) {
-        // For the decimal number 10 we need log_2(10) = 3.3219 bits.
-        // The following formula uses 3.322 * 1024 = 3401.8 rounded up
-        // and adds 1, so that we overestimate but never underestimate
-        // the number of bits.
-        return (((numDecimalDigits * 3402L) >>> 10) + 1);
+    /** Gives the number of bits necessary to store given number of decimal digits.
+     *  According to tests, overestimation is 1 bit at most for numbers like "999...",
+     *  as the smallest one is "100..." additional 4 bits overestimation can occur.
+     * @param numDecimalDigits number of decimal digits, expected to be positive
+     * @return estimated number of bits
+     */
+    public static long estimateNumBits(int numDecimalDigits) {
+        // For the decimal digit we need log_2(10) = 3.32192809488736234787 bits.
+        // The following formula uses 3.32192809488736234787 * 1073741824 (=2^30) = 3566893131.8 rounded up
+        // and adds 1, so that we overestimate but never underestimate the number of bits.
+        return (((numDecimalDigits * 3_566_893_132L) >>> 30) + 1);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/fastdoubleparser-dev/src/test/java/ch/randelshofer/fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMathTest.java b/fastdoubleparser-dev/src/test/java/ch/randelshofer/fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMathTest.java
index 40e09800..5402f63c 100644
--- a/fastdoubleparser-dev/src/test/java/ch/randelshofer/fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMathTest.java
+++ b/fastdoubleparser-dev/src/test/java/ch/randelshofer/fastdoubleparser/FastIntegerMathTest.java
@@ -5,10 +5,67 @@
 package ch.randelshofer.fastdoubleparser;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
+
+import java.math.BigInteger;
+import java.util.Random;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 public class FastIntegerMathTest {
+
+    @Test
+    void estimateNumBitsSmallValues() {
+        for (int i = 0; i < 500; i++) { // works for i < 119185
+            long expected = digitsToBitsSlow(i);
+            long actual = FastIntegerMath.estimateNumBits(i);
+            assertEquals(actual, expected);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void estimateNumBitsRandomValues() {
+        Random r = new Random(0);
+        for (int i = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
+            int x = r.nextInt(Integer.MAX_VALUE); // random positive value
+            long expected = digitsToBits(x);
+            long actual = FastIntegerMath.estimateNumBits(x);
+            assertEqualsOrLessByOne(actual, expected);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @ParameterizedTest
+    @ValueSource(ints = {119185, 293637, 336249, 378861, 421473})
+    void estimateNumBitsInaccurateValues(int inaccurate) {
+        assertEquals(digitsToBits(inaccurate) + 1, FastIntegerMath.estimateNumBits(inaccurate));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisabledIfSystemProperty(named = "enableLongRunningTests", matches = "^false$")
+    void estimateNumBitsAll() {
+        for (int i = 0; i < Integer.MAX_VALUE; i++) {
+            long expected = digitsToBits(i);
+            long actual = FastIntegerMath.estimateNumBits(i);
+            assertEqualsOrLessByOne(actual, expected);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void assertEqualsOrLessByOne(long actual, long expected) { // actual >= expected
+        assertTrue(actual - expected >= 0,actual + " - " + expected + " < 0");
+        assertTrue(actual - expected <= 1, actual + " - " + expected + " > 1");
+    }
+
+    // supposed to be precisely accurate
+    private static long digitsToBits(int numDecimalDigits) {
+        return (long)(3.32192809488736234787 * numDecimalDigits) + 1;
+    }
+
+    // precisely accurate, but slow
+    private static long digitsToBitsSlow(int numDecimalDigits) {
+        return numDecimalDigits + BigInteger.valueOf(5).pow(numDecimalDigits).bitLength();
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testFullMultiplication() {
         FastIntegerMath.UInt128 actual = FastIntegerMath.fullMultiplication(0x123456789ABCDEF0L, 0x10L);