diff --git a/test/boost/big_decimal_test.cc b/test/boost/big_decimal_test.cc
index 1f744a1edd..ac94ee3964 100644
--- a/test/boost/big_decimal_test.cc
+++ b/test/boost/big_decimal_test.cc
@@ -99,6 +99,23 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_big_decimal_construct_from_string) {
     BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(big_decimal("+-5"), marshal_exception);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(big_decimal("++5"), marshal_exception);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(big_decimal("--5"), marshal_exception);
+
+    // Verify large exponent gets parsed correctly
+    // 1E-2147483647 : scale = 2147483647; OK
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_NO_THROW(big_decimal("1E-2147483647"));
+    // 1E2147483648 : scale = -2147483648; OK
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_NO_THROW(big_decimal("1E2147483648"));
+    // 0.01E2147483650 : scale = -2147483648;
+    // exponent is > int32::max() but the adjusted scale is still within int32 limits, so it is OK.
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_NO_THROW(big_decimal("0.01E2147483650"));
+
+    // Any overflow to scale should throw marshal_exception.
+    // 1E-2147483648 : scale(2147483648) > int32::max()
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(big_decimal("1E-2147483648"), marshal_exception);
+    // 1E2147483649 : scale(-2147483649) < int32::min()
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(big_decimal("1E2147483649"), marshal_exception);
+    // 1.2E-2147483647 : scale(2147483648) > int32::max()
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(big_decimal("1.2E-2147483647"), marshal_exception);
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_big_decimal_div) {
diff --git a/utils/big_decimal.cc b/utils/big_decimal.cc
index b83c86d18d..698087a213 100644
--- a/utils/big_decimal.cc
+++ b/utils/big_decimal.cc
@@ -78,12 +78,18 @@ big_decimal::big_decimal(std::string_view text)
     if (negative) {
         _unscaled_value *= -1;
     }
+    // parse scale as int64_t, so that it can be adjusted with fraction size and then checked for overflow.
+    int64_t scale = 0;
     try {
-        _scale = exponent.empty() ? 0 : -boost::lexical_cast<int32_t>(exponent);
+        scale = exponent.empty() ? 0 : -boost::lexical_cast<int64_t>(exponent);
     } catch (...) {
         throw marshal_exception(seastar::format("big_decimal - failed to parse exponent: {}", exponent));
     }
-    _scale += fraction.size();
+    scale += fraction.size();
+    if (scale < std::numeric_limits<int32_t>::min() || scale > std::numeric_limits<int32_t>::max()) {
+        throw marshal_exception(seastar::format("big_decimal - scale out of range: {}", scale));
+    }
+    _scale = static_cast<int32_t>(scale);
 }
 
 boost::multiprecision::cpp_rational big_decimal::as_rational() const {