diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
index 07ab35dc36..d71ef77182 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
@@ -1532,7 +1532,9 @@ pub fn parse_int(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, span: Span) -> Expression {
         span: Span,
         radix: u32,
     ) -> Expression {
-        if let Ok(num) = i64::from_str_radix(token, radix) {
+        // Parse as a u64, then cast to i64, otherwise, for numbers like "0xffffffffffffffef",
+        // you'll get `Error parsing hex string: number too large to fit in target type`.
+        if let Ok(num) = u64::from_str_radix(token, radix).map(|val| val as i64) {
             Expression::new(working_set, Expr::Int(num), span, Type::Int)
         } else {
             working_set.error(ParseError::InvalidLiteral(