diff --git a/mercurial/util.py b/mercurial/util.py
--- a/mercurial/util.py
+++ b/mercurial/util.py
@@ -1595,8 +1595,8 @@ def datestr(date=None, format='%a %b %d 
     d = t - tz
     if d > 0x7fffffff:
         d = 0x7fffffff
-    elif d < -0x7fffffff:
-        d = -0x7fffffff
+    elif d < -0x80000000:
+        d = -0x80000000
     # Never use time.gmtime() and datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp()
     # because they use the gmtime() system call which is buggy on Windows
     # for negative values.
@@ -1720,7 +1720,7 @@ def parsedate(date, formats=None, bias=N
     # time zone offset. values must fit in signed 32 bits for
     # current 32-bit linux runtimes. timezones go from UTC-12
     # to UTC+14
-    if abs(when) > 0x7fffffff:
+    if when < -0x80000000 or when > 0x7fffffff:
         raise Abort(_('date exceeds 32 bits: %d') % when)
     if offset < -50400 or offset > 43200:
         raise Abort(_('impossible time zone offset: %d') % offset)
diff --git a/tests/test-commit.t b/tests/test-commit.t
--- a/tests/test-commit.t
+++ b/tests/test-commit.t
@@ -31,17 +31,17 @@ commit date test
   abort: date exceeds 32 bits: -111111111111
   [255]
   $ echo foo >> foo
-  $ hg commit -d '1901-12-13 20:45:53 +0000' -m commit-7-2
+  $ hg commit -d '1901-12-13 20:45:52 +0000' -m commit-7-2
   $ echo foo >> foo
-  $ hg commit -d '-2147483647 0' -m commit-7-3
+  $ hg commit -d '-2147483648 0' -m commit-7-3
   $ hg log -T '{rev} {date|isodatesec}\n' -l2
-  3 1901-12-13 20:45:53 +0000
-  2 1901-12-13 20:45:53 +0000
-  $ hg commit -d '1901-12-13 20:45:52 +0000' -m commit-7
-  abort: date exceeds 32 bits: -2147483648
+  3 1901-12-13 20:45:52 +0000
+  2 1901-12-13 20:45:52 +0000
+  $ hg commit -d '1901-12-13 20:45:51 +0000' -m commit-7
+  abort: date exceeds 32 bits: -2147483649
   [255]
-  $ hg commit -d '-2147483648 0' -m commit-7
-  abort: date exceeds 32 bits: -2147483648
+  $ hg commit -d '-2147483649 0' -m commit-7
+  abort: date exceeds 32 bits: -2147483649
   [255]
 
 commit added file that has been deleted
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ commit added file that has been deleted
   dir/file
   committing manifest
   committing changelog
-  committed changeset 4:76aab26859d7
+  committed changeset 4:1957363f1ced
 
   $ echo > dir.file
   $ hg add
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ commit added file that has been deleted
   dir/file
   committing manifest
   committing changelog
-  committed changeset 5:9a50557f1baf
+  committed changeset 5:a31d8f87544a
   $ cd ..
 
   $ hg commit -m commit-14 does-not-exist
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ commit added file that has been deleted
   dir/file
   committing manifest
   committing changelog
-  committed changeset 6:4b4c75bf422d
+  committed changeset 6:32d054c9d085
 
 An empty date was interpreted as epoch origin