diff --git a/libgnucash/engine/gnc-numeric.cpp b/libgnucash/engine/gnc-numeric.cpp
index 4401592943..4297cab309 100644
--- a/libgnucash/engine/gnc-numeric.cpp
+++ b/libgnucash/engine/gnc-numeric.cpp
@@ -208,21 +208,24 @@ numeric_from_scientific_match(smatch &m)
 }
 
 GncNumeric::GncNumeric(const std::string &str, bool autoround) {
-    static const std::string numer_frag("(-?[0-9]*)");
-    static const std::string denom_frag("([0-9]+)");
+    static const std::string maybe_sign ("(-?)");
+    static const std::string opt_signed_int("(-?[0-9]*)");
+    static const std::string unsigned_int("([0-9]+)");
     static const std::string hex_frag("(0[xX][A-Fa-f0-9]+)");
     static const std::string slash("[ \\t]*/[ \\t]*");
+    static const std::string whitespace("[ \\t]+");
     /* The llvm standard C++ library refused to recognize the - in the
-     * numer_frag pattern with the default ECMAScript syntax so we use the
+     * opt_signed_int pattern with the default ECMAScript syntax so we use the
      * awk syntax.
      */
-    static const regex numeral(numer_frag);
+    static const regex numeral(opt_signed_int);
     static const regex hex(hex_frag);
-    static const regex numeral_rational(numer_frag + slash + denom_frag);
+    static const regex numeral_rational(opt_signed_int + slash + unsigned_int);
+    static const regex integer_and_fraction(maybe_sign + unsigned_int + whitespace + unsigned_int + slash + unsigned_int);
     static const regex hex_rational(hex_frag + slash + hex_frag);
-    static const regex hex_over_num(hex_frag + slash + denom_frag);
-    static const regex num_over_hex(numer_frag + slash + hex_frag);
-    static const regex decimal(numer_frag + "[.,]" + denom_frag);
+    static const regex hex_over_num(hex_frag + slash + unsigned_int);
+    static const regex num_over_hex(opt_signed_int + slash + hex_frag);
+    static const regex decimal(opt_signed_int + "[.,]" + unsigned_int);
     static const regex scientific("(?:(-?[0-9]+[.,]?)|(-?[0-9]*)[.,]([0-9]+))[Ee](-?[0-9]+)");
     static const regex has_hex_prefix(".*0[xX]$");
     smatch m, x;
@@ -256,6 +259,14 @@ GncNumeric::GncNumeric(const std::string &str, bool autoround) {
         m_den = n.denom();
         return;
     }
+    if (regex_search(str, m, integer_and_fraction))
+    {
+        GncNumeric n(stoll(m[3].str()), stoll(m[4].str()));
+        n += stoll(m[2].str());
+        m_num = m[1].str().empty() ? n.num() : -n.num();
+        m_den = n.denom();
+        return;
+    }
     if (regex_search(str, m, numeral_rational))
     {
         GncNumeric n(stoll(m[1].str()), stoll(m[2].str()));
@@ -1303,19 +1314,19 @@ gnc_num_dbg_to_string(gnc_numeric n)
     return p;
 }
 
-gboolean
-string_to_gnc_numeric(const gchar* str, gnc_numeric *n)
+gnc_numeric
+gnc_numeric_from_string (const gchar* str)
 {
+    if (!str)
+        return gnc_numeric_error (GNC_ERROR_ARG);
     try
     {
-        GncNumeric an(str);
-        *n = static_cast<gnc_numeric>(an);
-        return TRUE;
+        return GncNumeric (str);
     }
     catch (const std::exception& err)
     {
         PWARN("%s", err.what());
-        return FALSE;
+        return gnc_numeric_error (GNC_ERROR_ARG);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libgnucash/engine/gnc-numeric.h b/libgnucash/engine/gnc-numeric.h
index 254d18ca9f..f08c0c5266 100644
--- a/libgnucash/engine/gnc-numeric.h
+++ b/libgnucash/engine/gnc-numeric.h
@@ -296,10 +296,9 @@ gnc_numeric double_to_gnc_numeric(double n, gint64 denom,
                                   gint how);
 
 /** Read a gnc_numeric from str, skipping any leading whitespace.
- *  Return TRUE on success and store the resulting value in "n".
- *  Return NULL on error. */
-gboolean string_to_gnc_numeric(const gchar* str, gnc_numeric *n);
-
+ *  Returns the resulting gnc_numeric.
+ *  Return GNC_ERROR_ARG on error. */
+gnc_numeric gnc_numeric_from_string (const gchar* str);
 /** Create a gnc_numeric object that signals the error condition
  *  noted by error_code, rather than a number.
  */
diff --git a/libgnucash/engine/test/gtest-gnc-numeric.cpp b/libgnucash/engine/test/gtest-gnc-numeric.cpp
index 8194359d1c..ac6b1fe964 100644
--- a/libgnucash/engine/test/gtest-gnc-numeric.cpp
+++ b/libgnucash/engine/test/gtest-gnc-numeric.cpp
@@ -180,6 +180,28 @@ TEST(gncnumeric_constructors, test_string_constructor)
     GncNumeric neg_embedded("The number is -123456/456");
     EXPECT_EQ(-123456, neg_embedded.num());
     EXPECT_EQ(456, neg_embedded.denom());
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(GncNumeric integer_fraction("The number is 1234 567/890"));
+    GncNumeric integer_fraction("The number is 1234 567/890");
+    EXPECT_EQ(1098827, integer_fraction.num());
+    EXPECT_EQ(890, integer_fraction.denom());
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(GncNumeric neg_integer_fraction("The number is -1234 567/890"));
+    GncNumeric neg_integer_fraction("The number is -1234 567/890");
+    EXPECT_EQ(-1098827, neg_integer_fraction.num());
+    EXPECT_EQ(890, neg_integer_fraction.denom());
+    GncNumeric integer_large_fraction("The number is 1234 4567/890");
+    EXPECT_EQ(1102827, integer_large_fraction.num());
+    EXPECT_EQ(890, integer_large_fraction.denom());
+    GncNumeric neg_integer_large_fraction("The number is -1234 4567/890");
+    EXPECT_EQ(-1102827, neg_integer_large_fraction.num());
+    EXPECT_EQ(890, neg_integer_large_fraction.denom());
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(GncNumeric zero_integer_fraction("The number is 0 567/890"));
+    GncNumeric zero_integer_fraction("The number is 0 567/890");
+    EXPECT_EQ(567, zero_integer_fraction.num());
+    EXPECT_EQ(890, zero_integer_fraction.denom());
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(GncNumeric neg_zero_integer_fraction("The number is -0 567/890"));
+    GncNumeric neg_zero_integer_fraction("The number is -0 567/890");
+    EXPECT_EQ(-567, neg_zero_integer_fraction.num());
+    EXPECT_EQ(890, neg_zero_integer_fraction.denom());
     EXPECT_THROW(GncNumeric throw_zero_denom("123/0"), std::invalid_argument);
     EXPECT_THROW(GncNumeric overflow("12345678987654321.123456"),
                  std::overflow_error);