diff --git a/C4/Barcodes.pm b/C4/Barcodes.pm
index 957d60f283..dfca945a33 100644
--- a/C4/Barcodes.pm
+++ b/C4/Barcodes.pm
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ sub max {
 }
 sub db_max {
 	my $self = shift;
-	my $query = "SELECT max(abs(barcode)) FROM items LIMIT 1"; # Possible problem if multiple barcode types populated
+	my $query = "SELECT max(abs(CAST(barcode AS UNSIGNED))) FROM items LIMIT 1"; # Possible problem if multiple barcode types populated
 	my $sth = C4::Context->dbh->prepare($query);
 	$sth->execute();
 	return $sth->fetchrow_array || $self->initial;
diff --git a/t/db_dependent/Barcodes.t b/t/db_dependent/Barcodes.t
index 2846f4fe89..b5a976b841 100755
--- a/t/db_dependent/Barcodes.t
+++ b/t/db_dependent/Barcodes.t
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 use Modern::Perl;
 
-use Test::More tests => 75;
+use Test::More tests => 76;
 use Test::Warn;
 use Test::MockModule;
 use t::lib::TestBuilder;
@@ -132,6 +132,28 @@ subtest 'Test generation of hbyymmincr barcodes from DB values' => sub {
     $schema->storage->txn_rollback;
 };
 
+subtest 'Test generation of incremental barcodes from DB values' => sub {
+
+    plan tests => 2;
+
+    $schema->storage->txn_begin;
+    $builder->schema->resultset('Issue')->delete_all;
+    $builder->schema->resultset('Item')->delete_all;
+    my $barcodeobj;
+
+    my $item_1 = $builder->build_sample_item(
+        {
+            barcode => '1000000000000000'
+        }
+    );
+
+    $barcodeobj = C4::Barcodes->new('incremental');
+
+    is( $barcodeobj->db_max(), '1000000000000000', "(hbyymmincr) First barcode saved to db is equal to db_max" );
+    is( $barcodeobj->value(),  '1000000000000001', 'incremental barcode' );
+
+    $schema->storage->txn_rollback;
+};
 
 $schema->storage->txn_begin;