diff --git a/vlib/math/math.v b/vlib/math/math.v
index a3387e637f..0d0d7a56f9 100644
--- a/vlib/math/math.v
+++ b/vlib/math/math.v
@@ -42,25 +42,71 @@ pub fn degrees(radians f64) f64 {
 	return radians * (180.0 / pi)
 }
 
-// digits returns an array of the digits of n in the given base.
-pub fn digits(_n int, base int) []int {
-	if base < 2 {
-		panic('digits: Cannot find digits of n with base $base')
+[params]
+pub struct DigitParams {
+	base    int = 10
+	reverse bool
+}
+
+// digits returns an array of the digits of `num` in the given optional `base`.
+// The `num` argument accepts any integer type (i8|i16|int|isize|i64), and will be cast to i64
+// The `base:` argument is optional, it will default to base: 10.
+// This function returns an array of the digits in reverse order i.e.:
+// Example: assert math.digits(12345, base: 10) == [5,4,3,2,1]
+// You can also use it, with an explicit `reverse: true` parameter,
+// (it will do a reverse of the result array internally => slower):
+// Example: assert math.digits(12345, reverse: true) == [1,2,3,4,5]
+pub fn digits(num i64, params DigitParams) []int {
+	// set base to 10 initially and change only if base is explicitly set.
+	mut b := params.base
+	if b < 2 {
+		panic('digits: Cannot find digits of n with base $b')
 	}
-	mut n := _n
+	mut n := num
 	mut sign := 1
 	if n < 0 {
 		sign = -1
 		n = -n
 	}
+
 	mut res := []int{}
-	for n != 0 {
-		res << (n % base) * sign
-		n /= base
+	if n == 0 {
+		// short-circuit and return 0
+		res << 0
+		return res
 	}
+	for n != 0 {
+		next_n := n / b
+		res << int(n - next_n * b)
+		n = next_n
+	}
+
+	if sign == -1 {
+		res[res.len - 1] *= sign
+	}
+
+	if params.reverse {
+		res = res.reverse()
+	}
+
 	return res
 }
 
+// count_digits return the number of digits in the number passed.
+// Number argument accepts any integer type (i8|i16|int|isize|i64) and will be cast to i64
+pub fn count_digits(number i64) int {
+	mut n := number
+	if n == 0 {
+		return 1
+	}
+	mut c := 0
+	for n != 0 {
+		n = n / 10
+		c++
+	}
+	return c
+}
+
 // minmax returns the minimum and maximum value of the two provided.
 pub fn minmax(a f64, b f64) (f64, f64) {
 	if a < b {
diff --git a/vlib/math/math_test.v b/vlib/math/math_test.v
index 14e6b3489f..816bb9fe01 100644
--- a/vlib/math/math_test.v
+++ b/vlib/math/math_test.v
@@ -914,14 +914,40 @@ fn test_lcm() {
 }
 
 fn test_digits() {
-	digits_in_10th_base := digits(125, 10)
-	assert digits_in_10th_base[0] == 5
-	assert digits_in_10th_base[1] == 2
-	assert digits_in_10th_base[2] == 1
-	digits_in_16th_base := digits(15, 16)
-	assert digits_in_16th_base[0] == 15
-	negative_digits := digits(-4, 2)
-	assert negative_digits[2] == -1
+	// a small sanity check with a known number like 100,
+	// just written in different base systems:
+	assert digits(100, reverse: true) == [1, 0, 0]
+	assert digits(100, base: 2, reverse: true) == [1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0]
+	assert digits(100, base: 3, reverse: true) == [1, 0, 2, 0, 1]
+	assert digits(100, base: 4, reverse: true) == [1, 2, 1, 0]
+	assert digits(100, base: 8, reverse: true) == [1, 4, 4]
+	assert digits(100, base: 10, reverse: true) == [1, 0, 0]
+	assert digits(100, base: 12, reverse: true) == [8, 4]
+	assert digits(100, base: 16, reverse: true) == [6, 4]
+	assert digits(100, base: 20, reverse: true) == [5, 0]
+	assert digits(100, base: 32, reverse: true) == [3, 4]
+	assert digits(100, base: 64, reverse: true) == [1, 36]
+	assert digits(100, base: 128, reverse: true) == [100]
+	assert digits(100, base: 256, reverse: true) == [100]
+
+	assert digits(1234432112344321) == digits(1234432112344321, reverse: true)
+	assert digits(1234432112344321) == [1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1]
+
+	assert digits(125, base: 10, reverse: true) == [1, 2, 5]
+	assert digits(125, base: 10).reverse() == [1, 2, 5]
+
+	assert digits(15, base: 16, reverse: true) == [15]
+	assert digits(127, base: 16, reverse: true) == [7, 15]
+	assert digits(65535, base: 16, reverse: true) == [15, 15, 15, 15]
+	assert digits(-65535, base: 16, reverse: true) == [-15, 15, 15, 15]
+
+	assert digits(-127) == [7, 2, -1]
+	assert digits(-127).reverse() == [-1, 2, 7]
+	assert digits(-127, reverse: true) == [-1, 2, 7]
+
+	assert digits(234, base: 7).reverse() == [4, 5, 3]
+
+	assert digits(67432, base: 12).reverse() == [3, 3, 0, 3, 4]
 }
 
 // Check that math functions of high angle values
@@ -966,3 +992,21 @@ fn test_powi() {
 	assert powi(0, -2) == -1 // div by 0
 	assert powi(2, -1) == 0
 }
+
+fn test_count_digits() {
+	assert count_digits(-999) == 3
+	assert count_digits(-100) == 3
+	assert count_digits(-99) == 2
+	assert count_digits(-10) == 2
+	assert count_digits(-1) == 1
+	assert count_digits(0) == 1
+	assert count_digits(1) == 1
+	assert count_digits(10) == 2
+	assert count_digits(99) == 2
+	assert count_digits(100) == 3
+	assert count_digits(999) == 3
+	//
+	assert count_digits(12345) == 5
+	assert count_digits(123456789012345) == 15
+	assert count_digits(-67345) == 5
+}