diff --git a/http_handler.go b/http_handler.go
index 2815cdbf8..07385f342 100644
--- a/http_handler.go
+++ b/http_handler.go
@@ -1563,14 +1563,21 @@ func fieldOptionsToFunctionalOpts(opt fieldOptions) []FieldOption {
 	case FieldTypeSet:
 		fos = append(fos, OptFieldTypeSet(*opt.CacheType, *opt.CacheSize))
 	case FieldTypeInt:
-		if opt.Min == nil {
-			min := pql.NewDecimal(int64(math.MinInt64), 0)
-			opt.Min = &min
+		min, max := pql.MinMax(0)
+		// ensure the provided bounds are valid
+		if opt.Max != nil && max.LessThan(*opt.Max) {
+			opt.Max = &max
 		}
 		if opt.Max == nil {
-			max := pql.NewDecimal(int64(math.MaxInt64), 0)
 			opt.Max = &max
 		}
+
+		if opt.Min != nil && min.GreaterThan(*opt.Min) {
+			opt.Min = &min
+		}
+		if opt.Min == nil {
+			opt.Min = &min
+		}
 		fos = append(fos, OptFieldTypeInt(opt.Min.ToInt64(0), opt.Max.ToInt64(0)))
 	case FieldTypeDecimal:
 		scale := int64(0)
diff --git a/index.go b/index.go
index 08a4a6a4a..21686b04b 100644
--- a/index.go
+++ b/index.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ package pilosa
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"math"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
@@ -618,14 +617,23 @@ func (i *Index) CreateFieldIfNotExistsWithOptions(name string, opt *FieldOptions
 	// added for backward compatablity with old schemas
 	if opt != nil && opt.Type == FieldTypeDecimal {
 		min, max := pql.MinMax(opt.Scale)
-		opt.Max = max
-		opt.Min = min
+		// ensure the provided bounds are valid
+		if max.LessThan(opt.Max) {
+			opt.Max = max
+		}
+		if min.GreaterThan(opt.Min) {
+			opt.Min = min
+		}
 	}
 	if opt != nil && opt.Type == FieldTypeDecimal {
-		min := pql.NewDecimal(int64(math.MinInt64), 0)
-		max := pql.NewDecimal(int64(math.MaxInt64), 0)
-		opt.Max = max
-		opt.Min = min
+		min, max := pql.MinMax(0)
+		// ensure the provided bounds are valid
+		if max.LessThan(opt.Max) {
+			opt.Max = max
+		}
+		if min.GreaterThan(opt.Min) {
+			opt.Min = min
+		}
 	}
 
 	cfm := &CreateFieldMessage{