diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 33e49a483..b78e1d1e7 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -58,6 +58,17 @@ integer-expt.  This is more correct, and conforming to R6RS, but seems
 to be incompatible with R5RS, which would return 0 for all non-zero
 values of N.
 
+*** `expt' and `integer-expt' are more generic, less strict
+
+When raising to an exact non-negative integer exponent, `expt' and
+`integer-expt' are now able to exponentiate any object that can be
+multiplied using `*'.  They can also raise an object to an exact
+negative integer power if its reciprocal can be taken using `/'.
+In order to allow this, the type of the first argument is no longer
+checked when raising to an exact integer power.  If the exponent is 0
+or 1, the first parameter is not manipulated at all, and need not
+even support multiplication.
+
 *** Infinities are no longer integers, nor rationals
 
 scm_integer_p `integer?' and scm_rational_p `rational?' now return #f
diff --git a/libguile/numbers.c b/libguile/numbers.c
index 41d178b90..d08d15f11 100644
--- a/libguile/numbers.c
+++ b/libguile/numbers.c
@@ -3052,23 +3052,29 @@ SCM_DEFINE (scm_integer_expt, "integer-expt", 2, 0, 0,
   int i2_is_big = 0;
   SCM acc = SCM_I_MAKINUM (1L);
 
-  SCM_VALIDATE_NUMBER (SCM_ARG1, n);
-  if (!SCM_I_INUMP (k) && !SCM_BIGP (k))
+  /* Specifically refrain from checking the type of the first argument.
+     This allows us to exponentiate any object that can be multiplied.
+     If we must raise to a negative power, we must also be able to
+     take its reciprocal. */
+  if (!SCM_LIKELY (SCM_I_INUMP (k)) && !SCM_LIKELY (SCM_BIGP (k)))
     SCM_WRONG_TYPE_ARG (2, k);
 
-  if (scm_is_true (scm_zero_p (n)))
+  if (SCM_UNLIKELY (scm_is_eq (k, SCM_INUM0)))
+    return SCM_INUM1;  /* n^(exact0) is exact 1, regardless of n */
+  else if (SCM_UNLIKELY (scm_is_eq (n, SCM_I_MAKINUM (-1L))))
+    return scm_is_false (scm_even_p (k)) ? n : SCM_INUM1;
+  /* The next check is necessary only because R6RS specifies different
+     behavior for 0^(-k) than for (/ 0).  If n is not a scheme number,
+     we simply skip this case and move on. */
+  else if (SCM_NUMBERP (n) && scm_is_true (scm_zero_p (n)))
     {
-      if (scm_is_true (scm_zero_p (k)))  /* 0^0 == 1 per R5RS */
-	return acc;        /* return exact 1, regardless of n */
-      else if (scm_is_true (scm_positive_p (k)))
+      /* k cannot be 0 at this point, because we
+	 have already checked for that case above */
+      if (scm_is_true (scm_positive_p (k)))
 	return n;
       else  /* return NaN for (0 ^ k) for negative k per R6RS */
 	return scm_nan ();
     }
-  else if (scm_is_eq (n, acc))
-    return acc;
-  else if (scm_is_eq (n, SCM_I_MAKINUM (-1L)))
-    return scm_is_false (scm_even_p (k)) ? n : acc;
 
   if (SCM_I_INUMP (k))
     i2 = SCM_I_INUM (k);
diff --git a/test-suite/tests/numbers.test b/test-suite/tests/numbers.test
index 0d711b06d..d85e44cd8 100644
--- a/test-suite/tests/numbers.test
+++ b/test-suite/tests/numbers.test
@@ -3110,8 +3110,21 @@
 
 (with-test-prefix "expt"
   (pass-if (documented? expt))
-  (pass-if-exception "non-numeric base" exception:wrong-type-arg
-                     (expt #t 0))
+
+  ;;
+  ;; expt no longer requires its first argument to be a scheme number,
+  ;; for the sake of extensibility, and expt calls integer-expt for
+  ;; integer powers.  To raise to a positive power, all that is required
+  ;; is that it can be multiplied using `*'.  For negative powers we
+  ;; must also be able to find the reciprocal.  If we try to raise #t to
+  ;; any power other than 0 or 1 it may throw an exception, depending on
+  ;; whether * has been defined for #t.  However, when raising to the 0
+  ;; or 1 power, the first argument is not manipulated at all.
+  ;;
+  ;; (pass-if-exception "non-numeric base" exception:wrong-type-arg
+  ;;                    (expt #t 0))
+  ;;
+
   (pass-if (eqv? 1 (expt 0 0)))
   (pass-if (eqv? 1 (expt 0.0 0)))
   (pass-if (eqv? 1.0 (expt 0 0.0)))
@@ -3277,8 +3290,6 @@
 (with-test-prefix "integer-expt"
   (pass-if (documented? integer-expt))
 
-  (pass-if-exception "non-numeric base" exception:wrong-type-arg
-                     (integer-expt #t 0))
   (pass-if-exception "2^+inf" exception:wrong-type-arg
     (integer-expt 2 +inf.0))
   (pass-if-exception "2^-inf" exception:wrong-type-arg