diff --git a/builtins/history.def b/builtins/history.def
index dfa4fb7..4c938af 100644
--- a/builtins/history.def
+++ b/builtins/history.def
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ history_builtin (list)
   int flags, opt, result, old_history_lines, obase;
   char *filename, *delete_arg;
   intmax_t delete_offset;
+  int is_legal_number = 0;
+  int index = 0;
 
   flags = 0;
   reset_internal_getopt ();
@@ -180,14 +182,34 @@ history_builtin (list)
 #endif
   else if (flags & DFLAG)
     {
-      if ((legal_number (delete_arg, &delete_offset) == 0)
-	  || (delete_offset < history_base)
+     is_legal_number = legal_number (delete_arg, &delete_offset);
+     if (is_legal_number == 0)
+       {
+         sh_erange (delete_arg, _("history position"));
+         return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);
+       }
+     if ((delete_arg[0] == '-') && (delete_offset < 0))
+       {
+         if ((index = history_length + delete_offset) >= 0)
+           {
+             opt = index + 1;
+           }
+         else
+           {
+             sh_erange (delete_arg, _("history position"));
+             return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);
+           }
+       }
+     else
+       {
+      if ((delete_offset < history_base)
 	  || (delete_offset > (history_base + history_length)))
 	{
 	  sh_erange (delete_arg, _("history position"));
 	  return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);
 	}
       opt = delete_offset;
+       }
       result = bash_delete_histent (opt - history_base);
       /* Since remove_history changes history_length, this can happen if
 	 we delete the last history entry. */