diff --git a/lib/datalog/parser.sx b/lib/datalog/parser.sx
index 66ff43dd..16701597 100644
--- a/lib/datalog/parser.sx
+++ b/lib/datalog/parser.sx
@@ -91,6 +91,16 @@
           ((= ty "number") (do (dl-pp-advance! st) vv))
           ((= ty "string") (do (dl-pp-advance! st) vv))
           ((= ty "var") (do (dl-pp-advance! st) (string->symbol vv)))
+          ;; Negative numeric literal: `-` op directly followed by a
+          ;; number (no `(`) is parsed as a single negative number.
+          ;; This keeps `(-X Y)` (compound) and `-N` (literal) distinct.
+          ((and (= ty "op") (= vv "-")
+                (= (get (dl-pp-peek2 st) :type) "number"))
+            (do
+              (dl-pp-advance! st)
+              (let
+                ((n (get (dl-pp-peek st) :value)))
+                (do (dl-pp-advance! st) (- 0 n)))))
           ((or (= ty "atom") (= ty "op"))
             (do
               (dl-pp-advance! st)
diff --git a/lib/datalog/scoreboard.json b/lib/datalog/scoreboard.json
index b67356f8..36aea08c 100644
--- a/lib/datalog/scoreboard.json
+++ b/lib/datalog/scoreboard.json
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 {
   "lang": "datalog",
-  "total_passed": 246,
+  "total_passed": 248,
   "total_failed": 0,
-  "total": 246,
+  "total": 248,
   "suites": [
     {"name":"tokenize","passed":26,"failed":0,"total":26},
-    {"name":"parse","passed":20,"failed":0,"total":20},
+    {"name":"parse","passed":22,"failed":0,"total":22},
     {"name":"unify","passed":28,"failed":0,"total":28},
     {"name":"eval","passed":36,"failed":0,"total":36},
     {"name":"builtins","passed":23,"failed":0,"total":23},
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@
     {"name":"magic","passed":34,"failed":0,"total":34},
     {"name":"demo","passed":21,"failed":0,"total":21}
   ],
-  "generated": "2026-05-10T20:51:33+00:00"
+  "generated": "2026-05-10T20:55:23+00:00"
 }
diff --git a/lib/datalog/scoreboard.md b/lib/datalog/scoreboard.md
index 7c5196ef..53252867 100644
--- a/lib/datalog/scoreboard.md
+++ b/lib/datalog/scoreboard.md
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # datalog scoreboard
 
-**246 / 246 passing** (0 failure(s)).
+**248 / 248 passing** (0 failure(s)).
 
 | Suite | Passed | Total | Status |
 |-------|--------|-------|--------|
 | tokenize | 26 | 26 | ok |
-| parse | 20 | 20 | ok |
+| parse | 22 | 22 | ok |
 | unify | 28 | 28 | ok |
 | eval | 36 | 36 | ok |
 | builtins | 23 | 23 | ok |
diff --git a/lib/datalog/tests/parse.sx b/lib/datalog/tests/parse.sx
index 2080e77c..9d0f7201 100644
--- a/lib/datalog/tests/parse.sx
+++ b/lib/datalog/tests/parse.sx
@@ -126,6 +126,21 @@
         "underscore var"
         (dl-parse "p(X) :- q(X, _).")
         (list {:body (list (list (quote q) (quote X) (quote _))) :head (list (quote p) (quote X))}))
+      ;; Negative number literals parse as one negative number,
+      ;; while subtraction (`-(X, Y)`) compound is preserved.
+      (dl-pt-test!
+        "negative integer literal"
+        (dl-parse "n(-3).")
+        (list {:head (list (quote n) -3) :body (list)}))
+
+      (dl-pt-test!
+        "subtraction compound preserved"
+        (dl-parse "r(X) :- is(X, -(10, 3)).")
+        (list
+          {:head (list (quote r) (quote X))
+           :body (list (list (quote is) (quote X)
+                             (list (string->symbol "-") 10 3)))}))
+
       (dl-pt-test!
         "number as relation name raises"
         (dl-pt-throws? (fn () (dl-parse "1(X) :- p(X).")))