diff --git a/base/range.jl b/base/range.jl
index 3e1cd77eb914b..e9d28daf3ba3b 100644
--- a/base/range.jl
+++ b/base/range.jl
@@ -802,21 +802,15 @@ let bigints = Union{Int, UInt, Int64, UInt64, Int128, UInt128},
     # slightly more accurate length and checked_length in extreme cases
     # (near typemax) for types with known `unsigned` functions
     function length(r::OrdinalRange{T}) where T<:bigints
-        @inline
         s = step(r)
         diff = last(r) - first(r)
         isempty(r) && return zero(diff)
-        # if |s| > 1, diff might have overflowed, but unsigned(diff)÷s should
-        # therefore still be valid (if the result is representable at all)
-        # n.b. !(s isa T)
-        if s isa Unsigned || -1 <= s <= 1 || s == -s
-            a = div(diff, s) % typeof(diff)
-        elseif s < 0
-            a = div(unsigned(-diff), -s) % typeof(diff)
-        else
-            a = div(unsigned(diff), s) % typeof(diff)
-        end
-        return a + oneunit(a)
+        # Compute `(diff ÷ s) + 1` in a manner robust to signed overflow
+        # by using the absolute values as unsigneds for non-empty ranges.
+        # Note that `s` may be a different type from T and diff; it may not
+        # even be a BitInteger that supports `unsigned`. Handle with care.
+        a = div(unsigned(flipsign(diff, s)), s) % typeof(diff)
+        return flipsign(a, s) + oneunit(a)
     end
     function checked_length(r::OrdinalRange{T}) where T<:bigints
         s = step(r)
diff --git a/test/ranges.jl b/test/ranges.jl
index 40dbf6a42dbd9..a53bd4727f73c 100644
--- a/test/ranges.jl
+++ b/test/ranges.jl
@@ -743,6 +743,8 @@ end
         @test length(typemin(T):typemax(T)) == T(0)
         @test length(zero(T):one(T):typemax(T)) == typemin(T)
         @test length(typemin(T):one(T):typemax(T)) == T(0)
+        @test length(StepRange{T,BigInt}(zero(T), 1, typemax(T))) == typemin(T)
+        @test length(StepRange{T,BigInt}(typemin(T), 1, typemax(T))) == T(0)
         @test_throws OverflowError checked_length(zero(T):typemax(T))
         @test_throws OverflowError checked_length(typemin(T):typemax(T))
         @test_throws OverflowError checked_length(zero(T):one(T):typemax(T))