diff --git a/src/math/big/decimal.go b/src/math/big/decimal.go
index f4c535acdb..670668baaf 100644
--- a/src/math/big/decimal.go
+++ b/src/math/big/decimal.go
@@ -71,19 +71,18 @@ func (x *decimal) init(m nat, shift int) {
 	x.exp = n
 	// Trim trailing zeros; instead the exponent is tracking
 	// the decimal point independent of the number of digits.
-	for n > 0 && s[n-1] == 0 {
+	for n > 0 && s[n-1] == '0' {
 		n--
 	}
-	x.mant = make([]byte, n)
-	copy(x.mant, s)
+	x.mant = append(x.mant[:0], s[:n]...)
 
 	// Do any (remaining) shift right in decimal representation.
 	if shift < 0 {
 		for shift < -maxShift {
-			x.shr(maxShift)
+			shr(x, maxShift)
 			shift += maxShift
 		}
-		x.shr(uint(-shift))
+		shr(x, uint(-shift))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ func (x *decimal) init(m nat, shift int) {
 // single +'0' pass at the end).
 
 // shr implements x >> s, for s <= maxShift.
-func (x *decimal) shr(s uint) {
+func shr(x *decimal, s uint) {
 	// Division by 1<<s using shift-and-subtract algorithm.
 
 	// pick up enough leading digits to cover first shift
@@ -146,12 +145,7 @@ func (x *decimal) shr(s uint) {
 		n = n * 10
 	}
 
-	// remove trailing zeros
-	w = len(x.mant)
-	for w > 0 && x.mant[w-1] == '0' {
-		w--
-	}
-	x.mant = x.mant[:w]
+	trim(x)
 }
 
 func (x *decimal) String() string {
@@ -189,3 +183,73 @@ func appendZeros(buf []byte, n int) []byte {
 	}
 	return buf
 }
+
+// shouldRoundUp reports if x should be rounded up
+// if shortened to n digits. n must be a valid index
+// for x.mant.
+func shouldRoundUp(x *decimal, n int) bool {
+	if x.mant[n] == '5' && n+1 == len(x.mant) {
+		// exactly halfway - round to even
+		return n > 0 && (x.mant[n-1]-'0')&1 != 0
+	}
+	// not halfway - digit tells all (x.mant has no trailing zeros)
+	return x.mant[n] >= '5'
+}
+
+// round sets x to (at most) n mantissa digits by rounding it
+// to the nearest even value with n (or fever) mantissa digits.
+// If n < 0, x remains unchanged.
+func (x *decimal) round(n int) {
+	if n < 0 || n >= len(x.mant) {
+		return // nothing to do
+	}
+
+	if shouldRoundUp(x, n) {
+		x.roundUp(n)
+	} else {
+		x.roundDown(n)
+	}
+}
+
+func (x *decimal) roundUp(n int) {
+	if n < 0 || n >= len(x.mant) {
+		return // nothing to do
+	}
+	// 0 <= n < len(x.mant)
+
+	// find first digit < '9'
+	for n > 0 && x.mant[n-1] >= '9' {
+		n--
+	}
+
+	if n == 0 {
+		// all digits are '9's => round up to '1' and update exponent
+		x.mant[0] = '1' // ok since len(x.mant) > n
+		x.mant = x.mant[:1]
+		x.exp++
+		return
+	}
+
+	// n > 0 && x.mant[n-1] < '9'
+	x.mant[n-1]++
+	x.mant = x.mant[:n]
+	// x already trimmed
+}
+
+func (x *decimal) roundDown(n int) {
+	if n < 0 || n >= len(x.mant) {
+		return // nothing to do
+	}
+	x.mant = x.mant[:n]
+	trim(x)
+}
+
+// trim cuts off any trailing zeros from x's mantissa;
+// they are meaningless for the value of x.
+func trim(x *decimal) {
+	i := len(x.mant)
+	for i > 0 && x.mant[i-1] == '0' {
+		i--
+	}
+	x.mant = x.mant[:i]
+}
diff --git a/src/math/big/decimal_test.go b/src/math/big/decimal_test.go
index ce20800ef0..81e022a47d 100644
--- a/src/math/big/decimal_test.go
+++ b/src/math/big/decimal_test.go
@@ -49,3 +49,58 @@ func TestDecimalInit(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestDecimalRounding(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		x              uint64
+		n              int
+		down, even, up string
+	}{
+		{0, 0, "0", "0", "0"},
+		{0, 1, "0", "0", "0"},
+
+		{1, 0, "0", "0", "10"},
+		{5, 0, "0", "0", "10"},
+		{9, 0, "0", "10", "10"},
+
+		{15, 1, "10", "20", "20"},
+		{45, 1, "40", "40", "50"},
+		{95, 1, "90", "100", "100"},
+
+		{12344999, 4, "12340000", "12340000", "12350000"},
+		{12345000, 4, "12340000", "12340000", "12350000"},
+		{12345001, 4, "12340000", "12350000", "12350000"},
+		{23454999, 4, "23450000", "23450000", "23460000"},
+		{23455000, 4, "23450000", "23460000", "23460000"},
+		{23455001, 4, "23450000", "23460000", "23460000"},
+
+		{99994999, 4, "99990000", "99990000", "100000000"},
+		{99995000, 4, "99990000", "100000000", "100000000"},
+		{99999999, 4, "99990000", "100000000", "100000000"},
+
+		{12994999, 4, "12990000", "12990000", "13000000"},
+		{12995000, 4, "12990000", "13000000", "13000000"},
+		{12999999, 4, "12990000", "13000000", "13000000"},
+	} {
+		x := nat(nil).setUint64(test.x)
+
+		var d decimal
+		d.init(x, 0)
+		d.roundDown(test.n)
+		if got := d.String(); got != test.down {
+			t.Errorf("roundDown(%d, %d) = %s; want %s", test.x, test.n, got, test.down)
+		}
+
+		d.init(x, 0)
+		d.round(test.n)
+		if got := d.String(); got != test.even {
+			t.Errorf("round(%d, %d) = %s; want %s", test.x, test.n, got, test.even)
+		}
+
+		d.init(x, 0)
+		d.roundUp(test.n)
+		if got := d.String(); got != test.up {
+			t.Errorf("roundUp(%d, %d) = %s; want %s", test.x, test.n, got, test.up)
+		}
+	}
+}