diff --git a/base/gmp.jl b/base/gmp.jl
index 0734e19c87b8a..f28ff9907584f 100644
--- a/base/gmp.jl
+++ b/base/gmp.jl
@@ -167,7 +167,10 @@ end
 function invmod(x::BigInt, y::BigInt)
     z = BigInt()
     y = abs(y)
-    if (y<2 || ccall((:__gmpz_invert, :libgmp), Cint, (Ptr{BigInt}, Ptr{BigInt}, Ptr{BigInt}), &z, &x, &y) == 0)
+    if y == 1
+        return big(0)
+    end
+    if (y==0 || ccall((:__gmpz_invert, :libgmp), Cint, (Ptr{BigInt}, Ptr{BigInt}, Ptr{BigInt}), &z, &x, &y) == 0)
         error("no inverse exists")
     end
     return z
diff --git a/base/intfuncs.jl b/base/intfuncs.jl
index d31adf4178847..283201e3e1007 100644
--- a/base/intfuncs.jl
+++ b/base/intfuncs.jl
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ gcdx(a::Integer, b::Integer) = gcdx(promote(a,b)...)
 # multiplicative inverse of n mod m, error if none
 function invmod(n, m)
     g, x, y = gcdx(n, m)
-    if g != 1 || m == 0 || m == 1 || m == -1
+    if g != 1 || m == 0
         error("no inverse exists")
     end
     x < 0 ? abs(m) + x : x
diff --git a/test/numbers.jl b/test/numbers.jl
index 8c3acbb270a0b..904dd3f4bc72f 100644
--- a/test/numbers.jl
+++ b/test/numbers.jl
@@ -1522,7 +1522,7 @@ for i = -20:20, j = -20:20
     @test d == gcd(ib,jb)
     @test lcm(i,j) == lcm(ib,jb)
     @test gcdx(i,j) == gcdx(ib,jb)
-    if abs(j) < 2
+    if j == 0
         @test_throws invmod(i,j)
         @test_throws invmod(ib,jb)
     elseif d == 1