diff --git a/crates/compiler/builtins/bitcode/src/num.zig b/crates/compiler/builtins/bitcode/src/num.zig
index f980b64901..e85a16d8c8 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/builtins/bitcode/src/num.zig
+++ b/crates/compiler/builtins/bitcode/src/num.zig
@@ -110,7 +110,21 @@ pub fn exportNumToFloatCast(comptime T: type, comptime F: type, comptime name: [
 pub fn exportPow(comptime T: type, comptime name: []const u8) void {
     comptime var f = struct {
         fn func(base: T, exp: T) callconv(.C) T {
-            return std.math.pow(T, base, exp);
+            switch (@typeInfo(T)) {
+                // std.math.pow can handle ints via powi, but it turns any errors to unreachable
+                // we want to catch overflow and report a proper error to the user
+                .Int => {
+                    if (std.math.powi(T, base, exp)) |value| {
+                        return value;
+                    } else |err| switch (err) {
+                        error.Overflow => roc_panic("Integer raised to power overflowed!", 0),
+                        error.Underflow => return 0,
+                    }
+                },
+                else => {
+                    return std.math.pow(T, base, exp);
+                },
+            }
         }
     }.func;
     @export(f, .{ .name = name ++ @typeName(T), .linkage = .Strong });
diff --git a/crates/compiler/gen_wasm/src/low_level.rs b/crates/compiler/gen_wasm/src/low_level.rs
index a17f97e93c..d9560ece5a 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/gen_wasm/src/low_level.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/gen_wasm/src/low_level.rs
@@ -1829,24 +1829,12 @@ impl<'a> LowLevelCall<'a> {
                     _ => panic_ret_type(),
                 }
             }
-            NumPowInt => {
-                self.load_args(backend);
-                let base_type = CodeGenNumType::for_symbol(backend, self.arguments[0]);
-                let exponent_type = CodeGenNumType::for_symbol(backend, self.arguments[1]);
-                let ret_type = CodeGenNumType::from(self.ret_layout);
-
-                debug_assert!(base_type == exponent_type);
-                debug_assert!(exponent_type == ret_type);
-
-                let width = match ret_type {
-                    CodeGenNumType::I32 => IntWidth::I32,
-                    CodeGenNumType::I64 => IntWidth::I64,
-                    CodeGenNumType::I128 => todo!("{:?} for I128", self.lowlevel),
-                    _ => internal_error!("Invalid return type for pow: {:?}", ret_type),
-                };
-
-                self.load_args_and_call_zig(backend, &bitcode::NUM_POW_INT[width])
-            }
+            NumPowInt => match self.ret_layout_raw {
+                LayoutRepr::Builtin(Builtin::Int(width)) => {
+                    self.load_args_and_call_zig(backend, &bitcode::NUM_POW_INT[width])
+                }
+                _ => panic_ret_type(),
+            },
 
             NumIsNan => num_is_nan(backend, self.arguments[0]),
             NumIsInfinite => num_is_infinite(backend, self.arguments[0]),
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_gen/src/gen_num.rs b/crates/compiler/test_gen/src/gen_num.rs
index cfc62532c8..d19026cac6 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/test_gen/src/gen_num.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_gen/src/gen_num.rs
@@ -1926,6 +1926,13 @@ fn pow_int() {
     assert_evals_to!("Num.powInt 2 3", 8, i64);
 }
 
+#[test]
+#[cfg(any(feature = "gen-llvm", feature = "gen-wasm", feature = "gen-dev"))]
+#[should_panic(expected = r#"Roc failed with message: "Integer raised to power overflowed!"#)]
+fn pow_int_overflow() {
+    assert_evals_to!("Num.powInt 2u8 8", 0, u8);
+}
+
 #[test]
 #[cfg(any(feature = "gen-llvm", feature = "gen-wasm", feature = "gen-dev"))]
 fn atan() {