diff -r cf7ce8b79a25 -r ae235c2bbac9 jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/Long.java
--- a/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/Long.java	Wed Jan 15 00:03:38 2014 -0800
+++ b/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/Long.java	Wed Jan 15 10:40:22 2014 -0800
@@ -700,21 +700,58 @@
                     throw new NumberFormatException("Bad digit at end of " + s);
                 }
                 long result = first * radix + second;
-                if (compareUnsigned(result, first) < 0) {
+
+                /*
+                 * Test leftmost bits of multiprecision extension of first*radix
+                 * for overflow. The number of bits needed is defined by
+                 * GUARD_BIT = ceil(log2(Character.MAX_RADIX)) + 1 = 7. Then
+                 * int guard = radix*(int)(first >>> (64 - GUARD_BIT)) and
+                 * overflow is tested by splitting guard in the ranges
+                 * guard < 92, 92 <= guard < 128, and 128 <= guard, where
+                 * 92 = 128 - Character.MAX_RADIX. Note that guard cannot take
+                 * on a value which does not include a prime factor in the legal
+                 * radix range.
+                 */
+                int guard = radix * (int) (first >>> 57);
+                if (guard >= 128 ||
+                    (result >= 0 && guard >= 128 - Character.MAX_RADIX)) {
                     /*
-                     * The maximum unsigned value, (2^64)-1, takes at
-                     * most one more digit to represent than the
-                     * maximum signed value, (2^63)-1.  Therefore,
-                     * parsing (len - 1) digits will be appropriately
-                     * in-range of the signed parsing.  In other
-                     * words, if parsing (len -1) digits overflows
-                     * signed parsing, parsing len digits will
-                     * certainly overflow unsigned parsing.
+                     * For purposes of exposition, the programmatic statements
+                     * below should be taken to be multi-precision, i.e., not
+                     * subject to overflow.
+                     *
+                     * A) Condition guard >= 128:
+                     * If guard >= 128 then first*radix >= 2^7 * 2^57 = 2^64
+                     * hence always overflow.
+                     *
+                     * B) Condition guard < 92:
+                     * Define left7 = first >>> 57.
+                     * Given first = (left7 * 2^57) + (first & (2^57 - 1)) then
+                     * result <= (radix*left7)*2^57 + radix*(2^57 - 1) + second.
+                     * Thus if radix*left7 < 92, radix <= 36, and second < 36,
+                     * then result < 92*2^57 + 36*(2^57 - 1) + 36 = 2^64 hence
+                     * never overflow.
                      *
-                     * The compareUnsigned check above catches
-                     * situations where an unsigned overflow occurs
-                     * incorporating the contribution of the final
-                     * digit.
+                     * C) Condition 92 <= guard < 128:
+                     * first*radix + second >= radix*left7*2^57 + second
+                     * so that first*radix + second >= 92*2^57 + 0 > 2^63
+                     *
+                     * D) Condition guard < 128:
+                     * radix*first <= (radix*left7) * 2^57 + radix*(2^57 - 1)
+                     * so
+                     * radix*first + second <= (radix*left7) * 2^57 + radix*(2^57 - 1) + 36
+                     * thus
+                     * radix*first + second < 128 * 2^57 + 36*2^57 - radix + 36
+                     * whence
+                     * radix*first + second < 2^64 + 2^6*2^57 = 2^64 + 2^63
+                     *
+                     * E) Conditions C, D, and result >= 0:
+                     * C and D combined imply the mathematical result
+                     * 2^63 < first*radix + second < 2^64 + 2^63. The lower
+                     * bound is therefore negative as a signed long, but the
+                     * upper bound is too small to overflow again after the
+                     * signed long overflows to positive above 2^64 - 1. Hence
+                     * result >= 0 implies overflow given C and D.
                      */
                     throw new NumberFormatException(String.format("String value %s exceeds " +
                                                                   "range of unsigned long.", s));