diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 89a52b10..b390b6af 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 procps-ng-NEXT
 ----------------
   * doc: Document I idle state in ps.1 and top.1           Debian #886967
+  * free: fix some of the SI multiples                     issue #45
   * kill: -l space between name parses correctly           Debian #854407
   * library: dont use vm_min_free on non Linux             Debian #831396
   * library: dont use SIGPWR on FreeBSD                    Debian #832148
diff --git a/free.c b/free.c
index 6d81548e..08cb73bd 100644
--- a/free.c
+++ b/free.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ static const char *scale_size(unsigned long size, int flags, struct commandline_
 		if (args.exponent > 1) {
 			/* In desired scale. */
 			snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%ld",
-				 (long int)((size / 1024) * base / power(base, args.exponent - 2))
+                 (long int)((size * 1024) / power(base, args.exponent-1))
 			    );
 			return buf;
 		}
diff --git a/testsuite/free.test/free.exp b/testsuite/free.test/free.exp
index 83e197e4..d019eb4c 100644
--- a/testsuite/free.test/free.exp
+++ b/testsuite/free.test/free.exp
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ set swaptotal [ expr { $swaptotal_kb * 1024 } ]
 spawn $free -b
 expect_pass "$test" "^${free_header}Mem:\\s+${memtotal}\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s*Swap:\\s+${swaptotal}\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s*"
 
-foreach {arg divisor } {-k 1 -m 1024 -g 1048576 --mega 1000 --giga 1000000 } {
+foreach {arg divisor } {-k 1024 -m 1048576 -g 1073741824 --kilo 1000 --mega 1000000 --giga 1000000000 } {
     set test "free with $arg argument"
-    set memtotal [ expr { $memtotal_kb / $divisor } ]
-    set swaptotal [ expr { $swaptotal_kb / $divisor } ]
+    set memtest [ expr { $memtotal / $divisor } ]
+    set swaptest [ expr { $swaptotal / $divisor } ]
     spawn $free $arg
-    expect_pass "$test"  "^${free_header}Mem:\\s+$memtotal\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s*Swap:\\s+${swaptotal}\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s*"
+    expect_pass "$test"  "^${free_header}Mem:\\s+$memtest\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s*Swap:\\s+${swaptest}\\s+\\d+\\s+\\d+\\s*"
 }
 
 #set test "free with human readable output"