diff --git a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
index 52247c4feff..4ea294ee6de 100644
--- a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
+++ b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
@@ -2816,7 +2816,7 @@ fn get_leading_gen(inp: &[u8], decimal_pt: u8) -> Range<usize> {
             if let Some(&(_, &next_char)) = char_indices.peek() {
                 if (next_char == b'+' || next_char == b'-')
                     && matches!(
-                        char_indices.peek_nth(2),
+                        char_indices.peek_nth(1),
                         Some((_, c)) if c.is_ascii_digit()
                     )
                 {
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
index 42cbcff5ad4..34a80636f51 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
@@ -478,10 +478,19 @@ fn test_non_printing_chars() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn test_exponents_positive_general_fixed() {
+fn test_exponents_general() {
     test_helper("exponents_general", &["-g"]);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_exponents_positive_general() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .pipe_in("1\n2e3\n1e-5")
+        .arg("-g")
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only("1e-5\n1\n2e3\n");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_exponents_positive_numeric() {
     test_helper(
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sort/exponents-positive-general.expected b/tests/fixtures/sort/exponents-positive-general.expected
deleted file mode 100644
index 3dbc92fe5cc..00000000000
--- a/tests/fixtures/sort/exponents-positive-general.expected
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-
-
-
-
-
-
-10E
-1000EDKLD
-10000K78
-+100000
-100E6
-50e10
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sort/exponents-positive-general.txt b/tests/fixtures/sort/exponents-positive-general.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 23ea527718a..00000000000
--- a/tests/fixtures/sort/exponents-positive-general.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-10000K78
-10E
-
-
-1000EDKLD
-
-
-100E6
-
-50e10
-+100000
-