diff --git a/include/boost/json/impl/pointer.ipp b/include/boost/json/impl/pointer.ipp
index d07c48082..0004c85d7 100644
--- a/include/boost/json/impl/pointer.ipp
+++ b/include/boost/json/impl/pointer.ipp
@@ -200,15 +200,19 @@ parse_number_token(
             return {};
         }
 
-        std::size_t new_result = result * 10 + d;
-        if( new_result < result )
+        if( result > std::size_t(-1) / 10 )
         {
             BOOST_JSON_FAIL(ec, error::token_overflow);
             return {};
         }
+        result *= 10;
 
-        result = new_result;
-
+        if( result > std::size_t(-1) - d )
+        {
+            BOOST_JSON_FAIL(ec, error::token_overflow);
+            return {};
+        }
+        result += d;
     }
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/test/pointer.cpp b/test/pointer.cpp
index ef4c12bb2..6b658befc 100644
--- a/test/pointer.cpp
+++ b/test/pointer.cpp
@@ -231,6 +231,14 @@ class pointer_test
         jv.find_pointer(s, ec);
         BOOST_TEST(ec == error::token_overflow);
         BOOST_TEST(hasLocation(ec));
+
+        // a token an order of magnitude past max() still overflows size_t
+        string s2 = "/foo/";
+        s2 += std::to_string((std::numeric_limits<std::size_t>::max)());
+        s2 += '9';
+        jv.find_pointer(s2, ec);
+        BOOST_TEST(ec == error::token_overflow);
+        BOOST_TEST(hasLocation(ec));
     }
 
     void