diff --git a/haskell-mode.el b/haskell-mode.el
index 7658da4f9..2534db000 100644
--- a/haskell-mode.el
+++ b/haskell-mode.el
@@ -849,16 +849,28 @@ it that many times.  Negative arg -N means move backward across N
 balanced expressions.  This command assumes point is not in a
 string or comment.
 
-Note that negative arguments do not work so well."
+If unable to move over a sexp, signal `scan-error' with three
+arguments: a message, the start of the obstacle (a parenthesis or
+list marker of some kind), and end of the obstacle."
   (interactive "^p")
   (or arg (setq arg 1))
   (if (< arg 0)
-      ;; Fall back to native Emacs method for negative arguments.
-      ;; Haskell has maximum munch rule that does not work well
-      ;; backwards.
-      (progn
-        (goto-char (or (scan-sexps (point) arg) (buffer-end arg)))
-        (backward-prefix-chars))
+      (while (< arg 0)
+        (skip-syntax-backward "->")
+        ;; Navigate backwards using plain `backward-sexp', assume that it
+        ;; skipped over at least one Haskell expression, and jump forward until
+        ;; last possible point before the starting position. If applicable,
+        ;; `scan-error' is signalled by `backward-sexp'.
+        (let ((end (point))
+              (forward-sexp-function nil))
+          (backward-sexp)
+          (let ((cur (point)))
+            (while (< (point) end)
+              (setf cur (point))
+              (haskell-forward-sexp)
+              (skip-syntax-forward "->"))
+            (goto-char cur)))
+        (setf arg (1+ arg)))
     (save-match-data
       (while (> arg 0)
         (when (haskell-lexeme-looking-at-token)
diff --git a/tests/haskell-mode-tests.el b/tests/haskell-mode-tests.el
index e3b6d7ef8..238d5029f 100644
--- a/tests/haskell-mode-tests.el
+++ b/tests/haskell-mode-tests.el
@@ -464,4 +464,25 @@ of sexp."
             (haskell-forward-sexp 1)
             (eq (point) 6))))
 
+(ert-deftest backward-sexp ()
+  "Check if `forward-sexp-function' behaves properly on
+beginning of sexp."
+  (should (with-temp-buffer
+            (haskell-mode)
+            (insert "(foo) bar")
+            (goto-char 2)
+            (condition-case err
+                (progn (backward-sexp)
+                       nil)
+              (scan-error (equal (cddr err) (list 1 1)))))))
+
+(ert-deftest haskell-backward-sexp ()
+  "Check if `haskell-forward-sexp' with negatives arg properly
+moves over sexps."
+  (should (with-temp-buffer
+            (insert "a (b c) = d . e")
+            (goto-char 15)
+            (haskell-forward-sexp -4)
+            (eq (point) 3))))
+
 (provide 'haskell-mode-tests)