diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlInt128Support.cc b/src/tl/tl/tlInt128Support.cc
index a31b0ade3..c6f4bd007 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlInt128Support.cc
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlInt128Support.cc
@@ -24,44 +24,6 @@
 
 #include "tlInt128Support.h"
 
-namespace tl
-{
-
-std::string
-int128_to_string (__int128 x)
-{
-  std::string r;
-
-  //  this is the max. power of 10 that can be represented with __int128
-  __int128 m = (unsigned long long) 0x4b3b4ca85a86c47a;
-  m <<= 64;
-  m |= (unsigned long long) 0x98a224000000000;
-
-  if (x < 0) {
-    r = "-";
-    x = -x;
-  } else if (x == 0) {
-    return "0";
-  }
-
-  bool first = true;
-  while (m > 1) {
-    int d = 0;
-    while (x >= m) {
-      d += 1;
-      x -= m;
-    }
-    if (d > 0 || !first) {
-      r += char ('0' + d);
-      first = false;
-    }
-    m /= 10;
-  }
-
-  r += char('0' + int(x));
-  return r;
-}
-
-}
+//  .. nothing yet ..
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlInt128Support.h b/src/tl/tl/tlInt128Support.h
index be69c2ab9..1ead22cc6 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlInt128Support.h
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlInt128Support.h
@@ -26,27 +26,27 @@
 #if defined(HAVE_64BIT_COORD)
 
 #include "tlCommon.h"
+#include "tlString.h"
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <ostream>
 
-namespace tl
-{
-  TL_PUBLIC std::string int128_to_string (__int128 x);
-}
-
 namespace std
 {
 
+#if !defined(__GLIBCXX_BITSIZE_INT_N_0) || __GLIBCXX_BITSIZE_INT_N_0 != 128
+
   //  Provide an implementation for abs(__int128_t) if there isn't one
   inline __int128 abs (__int128 x)
   {
     return x < 0 ? -x : x;
   }
 
+#endif
+
   //  Provide ostream serialization for 128bit values
   inline std::ostream &operator<< (std::ostream &os, __int128 x)
   {
-    os << tl::int128_to_string (x);
+    os << tl::to_string (x);
     return os;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlString.cc b/src/tl/tl/tlString.cc
index 95ae2cea4..52d7f6715 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlString.cc
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlString.cc
@@ -232,29 +232,52 @@ tl::to_string (const unsigned long long &d)
 }
 
 #if defined(HAVE_64BIT_COORD)
+
 template <>
 std::string
 tl::to_string (const __int128 &d)
 {
   if (d < 0 ) {
-    return "-" + tl::to_string(static_cast<unsigned __int128>(-d));
+    return "-" + tl::to_string(static_cast<unsigned __int128> (-d));
   } else {
-    return tl::to_string(static_cast<unsigned __int128>(d));
+    return tl::to_string(static_cast<unsigned __int128> (d));
   }
 }
 
 template <>
 std::string
-tl::to_string (const unsigned __int128 &d)
+tl::to_string (const unsigned __int128 &_x)
 {
-  if (static_cast<uint64_t>(d) == d) {
-    return tl::to_string(static_cast<uint64_t>(d));
+  std::string r;
+  unsigned __int128 x = _x;
+
+  //  this is the max. power of 10 that can be represented with __int128
+  unsigned __int128 m = (unsigned long long) 0x4b3b4ca85a86c47a;
+  m <<= 64;
+  m |= (unsigned long long) 0x98a224000000000;
+
+  if (x == 0) {
+    return "0";
   }
-  std::ostringstream os;
-  os.imbue (c_locale);
-  os << "0x" << std::hex << static_cast<uint64_t> (d>>64) << static_cast<uint64_t> (d);  
-  return os.str ();
+
+  bool first = true;
+  while (m > 1) {
+    int d = 0;
+    while (x >= m) {
+      d += 1;
+      x -= m;
+    }
+    if (d > 0 || !first) {
+      r += char ('0' + d);
+      first = false;
+    }
+    m /= 10;
+  }
+
+  r += char('0' + int(x));
+  return r;
 }
+
 #endif
 
 template <>
diff --git a/src/tl/unit_tests/tlInt128Support.cc b/src/tl/unit_tests/tlInt128Support.cc
index 64a2ed784..bca43995e 100644
--- a/src/tl/unit_tests/tlInt128Support.cc
+++ b/src/tl/unit_tests/tlInt128Support.cc
@@ -29,19 +29,34 @@
 
 TEST(1) 
 {
-  EXPECT_EQ (tl::int128_to_string (__int128 (0)), "0");
-  EXPECT_EQ (tl::int128_to_string (__int128 (42)), "42");
-  EXPECT_EQ (tl::int128_to_string (__int128 (-42)), "-42");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (__int128 (0)), "0");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (__int128 (42)), "42");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (__int128 (-42)), "-42");
 
   __int128 x = 1;
   for (int i = 0; i < 30; ++i) {
      x *= 10;
   }
 
-  EXPECT_EQ (tl::int128_to_string (x), "1000000000000000000000000000000");
-  EXPECT_EQ (tl::int128_to_string (-x), "-1000000000000000000000000000000");
-  EXPECT_EQ (tl::int128_to_string (x + 1), "1000000000000000000000000000001");
-  EXPECT_EQ (tl::int128_to_string (x - 1), "999999999999999999999999999999");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (x), "1000000000000000000000000000000");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (-x), "-1000000000000000000000000000000");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (x + 1), "1000000000000000000000000000001");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (x - 1), "999999999999999999999999999999");
+}
+
+TEST(2)
+{
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string ((unsigned __int128) 0), "0");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string ((unsigned __int128) 42), "42");
+
+  unsigned __int128 x = 1;
+  for (int i = 0; i < 30; ++i) {
+     x *= 10;
+  }
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (x), "1000000000000000000000000000000");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (x + 1), "1000000000000000000000000000001");
+  EXPECT_EQ (tl::to_string (x - 1), "999999999999999999999999999999");
 }
 
 #endif