diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp1.d b/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp1.d
index fa73c99cc2..1452ec1a3f 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp1.d
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp1.d
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- this file is small, so the exported definitions can be imported into the engine
 
-header "";
+header "#include \"gmp_aux.h\"";
 
 --This file contains gmp related functions.
 --Functions in this file may make calls to stdio.
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use gmp;
 use stdio;
 use err;
 
+
 pow(x:ZZmutable, y:ZZ, n:ulong) ::= Ccode( void, "mpz_pow_ui(", x, ",", y, ",", n, ")" );
 
 export (x:ZZ) ^ (n:int) : ZZ := (
@@ -62,6 +63,13 @@ getstr(returnexponent:long, base:int, sigdigs:int, x:RRi) ::= (
      Ccode(void, "mpfr_free_str(", strptr, ")");
      ret);
 
+getstr_dragon4(returnexponent:long, x:RR) ::= (
+    strptr := Ccode(charstarOrNull,
+	"mpfr_dragon4(&", returnexponent, ", ", x, ")");
+    ret := tostring(strptr);
+    Ccode(void, "mpfr_free_str(", strptr, ")");
+    ret);
+
 export format(
      s:int,			  -- number of significant digits (0 means all)
      ac:int,	    -- accuracy, how far to right of point to go (-1 means all)
@@ -83,7 +91,10 @@ export format(
 	  );
      if x === 0 then return array(string)(if ng then "-" else "","0");
      ex := long(0);
-     mantissa := getstr(ex, base, s, x);
+     mantissa := (
+	 if s == meaningful
+	 then getstr_dragon4(ex, x)
+	 else getstr(ex, base, s, x));
      nt := 0;
      for i from length(mantissa)-1 to 0 by -1 do (
 	  if mantissa.i != '0' then break;
diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp_aux.c b/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp_aux.c
index 5aebc5c67b..2c8b478c55 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp_aux.c
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp_aux.c
@@ -42,6 +42,112 @@ void mp_free_str(char *str){
 
 }
 
+char *mpfr_dragon4(mpfr_exp_t *expptr, mpfr_srcptr x)
+{
+  int i, condition;
+  mpfr_exp_t e, k;
+  mpfr_prec_t p;
+  mpz_t f, r, s, m_plus, m_minus, one, tmp_zz;
+  mpfr_t tmp_rr;
+  char *str;
+  void *(*alloc_function)(size_t);
+
+  mp_get_memory_functions(&alloc_function, NULL, NULL);
+  str = alloc_function(mpfr_get_str_ndigits(10, mpfr_get_prec(x)) + 1);
+
+  mpz_inits(f, r, s, m_plus, m_minus, one, tmp_zz, NULL);
+  mpfr_init(tmp_rr);
+
+  p = mpfr_get_prec(x);
+  e = mpfr_get_z_2exp(f, x);
+  mpz_set_ui(one, 1);
+  mpz_mul_2exp(tmp_zz, one, p - 1);
+
+  /* burger/dybvig table 1 */
+  if (e >= 0) {
+    if (mpz_cmp(f, tmp_zz) == 0) {
+      mpz_mul_2exp(r, f, e + 2);
+      mpz_set_ui(s, 4);
+      mpz_mul_2exp(m_plus, one, e + 1);
+      mpz_mul_2exp(m_minus, one, e);
+    } else {
+      mpz_mul_2exp(r, f, e + 1);
+      mpz_set_ui(s, 2);
+      mpz_mul_2exp(m_plus, one, e);
+      mpz_set(m_minus, m_plus);
+    }
+  } else {
+    if ((e > mpfr_get_emin()) && (mpz_cmp(f, tmp_zz) == 0)) {
+      mpz_mul_2exp(r, f, 2);
+      mpz_mul_2exp(s, one, 2 - e);
+      mpz_set_ui(m_plus, 2);
+      mpz_set(m_minus, one);
+    } else {
+      mpz_mul_2exp(r, f, 1);
+      mpz_mul_2exp(s, one, 1 - e);
+      mpz_set(m_minus, one);
+      mpz_set(m_plus, one);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /* TODO: simplify this? see burger/dybvig section 3.2 */
+  mpfr_set_z(tmp_rr, r, MPFR_RNDN);
+  mpfr_add_z(tmp_rr, tmp_rr, m_plus, MPFR_RNDN);
+  mpfr_div_z(tmp_rr, tmp_rr, s, MPFR_RNDN);
+  mpfr_log(tmp_rr, tmp_rr, MPFR_RNDN);
+  mpfr_div_d(tmp_rr, tmp_rr, 2.3025850929940459 /* log 10 */, MPFR_RNDN);
+  mpfr_ceil(tmp_rr, tmp_rr);
+  k = mpfr_get_si(tmp_rr, MPFR_RNDN);
+  *expptr = k;
+
+  if (k >= 0) {
+    mpz_ui_pow_ui(tmp_zz, 10, k);
+    mpz_mul(s, s, tmp_zz);
+  } else {
+    mpz_ui_pow_ui(tmp_zz, 10, -k);
+    mpz_mul(r, r, tmp_zz);
+    mpz_mul(m_plus, m_plus, tmp_zz);
+    mpz_mul(m_minus, m_minus, tmp_zz);
+  }
+
+  for(i = 0; ; i++) {
+    mpz_mul_ui(r, r, 10);
+    mpz_fdiv_qr(tmp_zz, r, r, s);
+    str[i] = '0' + mpz_get_ui(tmp_zz);
+    mpz_mul_ui(m_plus, m_plus, 10);
+    mpz_mul_ui(m_minus, m_minus, 10);
+
+    condition = 0;
+
+    /* condition (1) */
+    if (mpz_cmp(r, m_minus) < 0)
+      condition |= 1;
+
+    /* condition (2) */
+    mpz_add(tmp_zz, r, m_plus);
+    if (mpz_cmp(tmp_zz, s) > 0) /* typo in burger/dybvig -- they use "<" */
+      condition |= 2;
+
+    if (condition == 1) { /* (1) true, (2) false */
+      str[i + 1] = '\0';
+      break;
+    } else if (condition == 2) { /* (1) false, (2) true */
+      str[i]++;
+      str[i + 1] = '\0';
+      break;
+    } else if (condition == 3) { /* (1) & (2) both true */
+      /* TODO */
+      str[i + 1] = '\0';
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  mpz_clears(f, r, s, m_plus, m_minus, tmp_zz, NULL);
+  mpfr_clear(tmp_rr);
+
+  return str;
+}
+
 /*
  Local Variables:
  compile-command: "echo \"make: Entering directory \\`$M2BUILDDIR/Macaulay2/d'\" && make -C $M2BUILDDIR/Macaulay2/d "
diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp_aux.h b/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp_aux.h
index 471c4e6b9a..c05a33b721 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp_aux.h
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/d/gmp_aux.h
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ extern int mpz_hash(mpz_srcptr x);
 extern int mpfr_hash(mpfr_srcptr x);
 extern int mpfi_hash(mpfi_srcptr x);
 extern void mp_free_str(char* str);
+extern char *mpfr_dragon4(mpfr_exp_t *expptr, mpfr_srcptr x);