diff --git a/oxifmt.typ b/oxifmt.typ
index c12882e..cd774a8 100644
--- a/oxifmt.typ
+++ b/oxifmt.typ
@@ -276,15 +276,7 @@
     // Normalize decimals with larger scales than is needed
     let fractional = fractional.sum(default: "").trim("0", at: end)
     let (integral, fractional, exponent) = if num > -1 and num < 1 and fractional != "" {
-      let first-non-zero = fractional.position("1")
-      if first-non-zero == none { first-non-zero = fractional.position("2") }
-      if first-non-zero == none { first-non-zero = fractional.position("3") }
-      if first-non-zero == none { first-non-zero = fractional.position("4") }
-      if first-non-zero == none { first-non-zero = fractional.position("5") }
-      if first-non-zero == none { first-non-zero = fractional.position("6") }
-      if first-non-zero == none { first-non-zero = fractional.position("7") }
-      if first-non-zero == none { first-non-zero = fractional.position("8") }
-      if first-non-zero == none { first-non-zero = fractional.position("9") }
+      let first-non-zero = fractional.codepoints().position(s => s != "0")
       assert(first-non-zero != none, message: "String formatter internal error: expected non-zero fractional digit")
 
       // Integral part is zero
diff --git a/tests/strfmt-tests.typ b/tests/strfmt-tests.typ
index 25c5114..a2065fb 100644
--- a/tests/strfmt-tests.typ
+++ b/tests/strfmt-tests.typ
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@
   assert.eq(strfmt("{:e}", decimal("132423")), "1.32423e5")
   assert.eq(strfmt("{:e}", decimal("-132423")), "-1.32423e5")
   assert.eq(strfmt("{:011.5}", decimal("1234.5")), "01234.50000")
+
+  // Issue #23: decimal exponential
+  assert.eq(strfmt("{:e}", decimal("0.31")), "3.1e-1")
 }
 // Issue #16: large numbers
 #{