diff --git a/libmath/desk/lib/math.hoon b/libmath/desk/lib/math.hoon
index ab00564..e581eeb 100644
--- a/libmath/desk/lib/math.hoon
+++ b/libmath/desk/lib/math.hoon
@@ -665,8 +665,8 @@
   ::  Source
   ++  pow
     |=  [x=@rs n=@rs]  ^-  @rs
-    ::  fall through on integers (faster)
-    ?:  =(n (san (need (toi n))))  (pow-n x (san (need (toi n))))
+    ::  fall through on positive integers (faster)
+    ?:  &(=(n (san (need (toi n)))) (gth n .0))  (pow-n x (san (need (toi n))))
     (exp (mul n (log x)))
   ::    +sqrt:  @rs -> @rs
   ::
@@ -1446,8 +1446,8 @@
   ::  Source
   ++  pow
     |=  [x=@rd n=@rd]  ^-  @rd
-    ::  fall through on integers (faster)
-    ?:  =(n (san (need (toi n))))  (pow-n x (san (need (toi n))))
+    ::  fall through on positive integers (faster)
+    ?:  &(=(n (san (need (toi n)))) (gth n .~0))  (pow-n x (san (need (toi n))))
     (exp (mul n (log x)))
   ::    +sqrt:  @rd -> @rd
   ::
@@ -2209,8 +2209,8 @@
   ::  Source
   ++  pow
     |=  [x=@rh n=@rh]  ^-  @rh
-    ::  fall through on integers (faster)
-    ?:  =(n (san (need (toi n))))  (pow-n x (san (need (toi n))))
+    ::  fall through on positive integers (faster)
+    ?:  &(=(n (san (need (toi n)))) (gth n .~~0))  (pow-n x (san (need (toi n))))
     (exp (mul n (log x)))
   ::    +sqrt:  @rh -> @rh
   ::
@@ -2907,8 +2907,8 @@
   ::  Source
   ++  pow
     |=  [x=@rq n=@rq]  ^-  @rq
-    ::  fall through on integers (faster)
-    ?:  =(n (san (need (toi n))))  (pow-n x (san (need (toi n))))
+    ::  fall through on positive integers (faster)
+    ?:  &(=(n (san (need (toi n)))) (gth n .~~~0))  (pow-n x (san (need (toi n))))
     (exp (mul n (log x)))
   ::    +sqrt:  @rq -> @rq
   ::
diff --git a/saloon/desk/lib/saloon.hoon b/saloon/desk/lib/saloon.hoon
index 9a60f8e..bc75808 100644
--- a/saloon/desk/lib/saloon.hoon
+++ b/saloon/desk/lib/saloon.hoon
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@
   ++  pow-n
     |=  [a=ray:ls b=ray:ls]
     ^-  ray
-    !! ::(bin-op:la a b (fun-scalar meta.a %pow-n))
+    (bin-op:la a b (fun-scalar meta.a %pow-n))
   ::    +log: $ray -> $ray
   ::
   ::  Returns the natural logarithm of each entry in a floating-point ray
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@
   ++  pow
     |=  [a=ray:ls b=ray:ls]
     ^-  ray
-    !! ::(bin-op:la a b (fun-scalar meta.a %pow))
+    (bin-op:la a b (fun-scalar meta.a %pow))
   ::    +sqrt: $ray -> $ray
   ::
   ::  Returns the square root of each entry in a floating-point ray