diff --git a/locators.cabal b/locators.cabal
--- a/locators.cabal
+++ b/locators.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:       >= 1.10
 name:                locators
-version:             0.2.4.1
+version:             0.2.4.2
 synopsis:            Human exchangable identifiers and locators
 license:             BSD3
 author:              Andrew Cowie <andrew@operationaldynamics.com>
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 
   build-depends:     base >= 4 && <5,
                      bytestring,
-                     text,
                      containers,
                      cryptohash,
                      cereal
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@
                      hspec-expectations,
                      QuickCheck,
                      bytestring,
-                     text,
                      containers,
                      cryptohash,
                      cereal
diff --git a/src/Data/Locator/Locators.hs b/src/Data/Locator/Locators.hs
--- a/src/Data/Locator/Locators.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Locator/Locators.hs
@@ -209,7 +209,8 @@
 toLocator16a :: Int -> Int -> String
 toLocator16a limit n =
   let
-    ls = convert n (replicate limit minBound)       :: [English16]
+    n' = abs n
+    ls = convert n' (replicate limit minBound)       :: [English16]
     (_,us) = mapAccumL uniq Set.empty ls
   in
     map locatorToDigit (take limit us)