diff --git a/basis/prettyprint/backend/backend.factor b/basis/prettyprint/backend/backend.factor
index 1cf3a9eb01..7145352acd 100644
--- a/basis/prettyprint/backend/backend.factor
+++ b/basis/prettyprint/backend/backend.factor
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ USING: accessors arrays assocs byte-arrays byte-vectors classes
 classes.algebra.private classes.intersection classes.maybe
 classes.tuple classes.tuple.private classes.union colors
 colors.constants combinators continuations effects generic
-hash-sets hashtables io io.pathnames io.styles kernel make math
-math.order math.parser namespaces prettyprint.config
+hash-sets hashtables io io.pathnames io.styles kernel locals
+make math math.order math.parser namespaces prettyprint.config
 prettyprint.custom prettyprint.sections prettyprint.stylesheet
 quotations sbufs sequences strings vectors words words.symbol ;
 FROM: sets => members ;
@@ -63,11 +63,16 @@ M: method pprint*
     [ "method-generic" word-prop pprint-word ] bi
     block> ;
 
+:: pprint-prefixed-number ( n pre quot: ( n -- n' ) -- )
+    n neg?
+    [ n neg quot call pre prepend "-" prepend text ]
+    [ n quot call pre prepend text ] if ; inline
+
 M: real pprint*
     number-base get {
-        { 16 [ \ HEX: [ >hex text ] pprint-prefix ] }
-        {  8 [ \ OCT: [ >oct text ] pprint-prefix ] }
-        {  2 [ \ BIN: [ >bin text ] pprint-prefix ] }
+        { 16 [ "0x" [ >hex ] pprint-prefixed-number ] }
+        {  8 [ "0o" [ >oct ] pprint-prefixed-number ] }
+        {  2 [ "0b" [ >bin ] pprint-prefixed-number ] }
         [ drop number>string text ]
     } case ;
 
@@ -76,7 +81,7 @@ M: float pprint*
         \ NAN: [ fp-nan-payload >hex text ] pprint-prefix
     ] [
         number-base get {
-            { 16 [ \ HEX: [ >hex text ] pprint-prefix ] }
+            { 16 [ "0x" [ >hex ] pprint-prefixed-number ] }
             [ drop number>string text ]
         } case
     ] if ;
diff --git a/basis/prettyprint/config/config-docs.factor b/basis/prettyprint/config/config-docs.factor
index 7cd4b31c8b..a263ef3cc3 100644
--- a/basis/prettyprint/config/config-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/prettyprint/config/config-docs.factor
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ HELP: line-limit
 { $var-description "The maximum number of lines output by the prettyprinter before output is truncated with \"...\". The default is " { $link f } ", denoting unlimited line count." } ;
 
 HELP: number-base
-{ $var-description "The number base in which the prettyprinter will output numeric literals. A value of " { $snippet "2" } " will print integers and ratios in binary with " { $link POSTPONE: BIN: } ", and " { $snippet "8" } " will print them in octal with " { $link POSTPONE: OCT: } ". A value of " { $snippet "16" } " will print all integers, ratios, and floating-point values in hexadecimal with " { $link POSTPONE: HEX: } ". Other values of " { $snippet "number-base" } " will print numbers in decimal, which is the default." } ;
+{ $var-description "The number base in which the prettyprinter will output numeric literals. A value of " { $snippet "2" } " will print integers and ratios in binary with " { $snippet "0b" } ". A value of " { $snippet "8" } " will print them in octal with " { $snippet "0o" } ". A value of " { $snippet "16" } " will print all integers, ratios, and floating-point values in hexadecimal with " { $snippet "0x" } ". Other values of " { $snippet "number-base" } " will print numbers in decimal, which is the default." } ;
 
 HELP: string-limit?
 { $var-description "Toggles whether printed strings are truncated to the margin." } ;