diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1f21c46..0dfd367 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # 1.14.5 (Unreleased)
 
+* `function/stdlib`: The `element` function now accepts negative indices, extending the illusion of an infinitely-long list into the negative direction too.
 
 # 1.14.4 (March 20, 2024)
 
diff --git a/cty/function/stdlib/collection.go b/cty/function/stdlib/collection.go
index 25df19b..d1df73d 100644
--- a/cty/function/stdlib/collection.go
+++ b/cty/function/stdlib/collection.go
@@ -147,12 +147,6 @@ var ElementFunc = function.New(&function.Spec{
 	},
 	Type: func(args []cty.Value) (cty.Type, error) {
 		list := args[0]
-		index := args[1]
-		if index.IsKnown() {
-			if index.LessThan(cty.NumberIntVal(0)).True() {
-				return cty.DynamicPseudoType, fmt.Errorf("cannot use element function with a negative index")
-			}
-		}
 
 		listTy := list.Type()
 		switch {
@@ -189,10 +183,6 @@ var ElementFunc = function.New(&function.Spec{
 			return cty.DynamicVal, fmt.Errorf("invalid index: %s", err)
 		}
 
-		if args[1].LessThan(cty.NumberIntVal(0)).True() {
-			return cty.DynamicVal, fmt.Errorf("cannot use element function with a negative index")
-		}
-
 		input, marks := args[0].Unmark()
 		if !input.IsKnown() {
 			return cty.UnknownVal(retType), nil
@@ -203,6 +193,9 @@ var ElementFunc = function.New(&function.Spec{
 			return cty.DynamicVal, errors.New("cannot use element function with an empty list")
 		}
 		index = index % l
+		if index < 0 {
+			index += l
+		}
 
 		// We did all the necessary type checks in the type function above,
 		// so this is guaranteed not to fail.
diff --git a/cty/function/stdlib/collection_test.go b/cty/function/stdlib/collection_test.go
index b6b9b6b..f4d0675 100644
--- a/cty/function/stdlib/collection_test.go
+++ b/cty/function/stdlib/collection_test.go
@@ -1157,6 +1157,30 @@ func TestElement(t *testing.T) {
 			cty.StringVal("quick"),
 			false,
 		},
+		{ // negative index counts from the end of the list
+			listOfStrings,
+			cty.NumberIntVal(-1),
+			cty.StringVal("fox"),
+			false,
+		},
+		{ // negative index can be out of bounds too
+			listOfStrings,
+			cty.NumberIntVal(-6),
+			cty.StringVal("brown"),
+			false,
+		},
+		{ // minimum valid index
+			listOfStrings,
+			cty.NumberIntVal(-9223372036854775808),
+			cty.StringVal("the"),
+			false,
+		},
+		{ // maximum valid index
+			listOfStrings,
+			cty.NumberIntVal(9223372036854775807),
+			cty.StringVal("fox"),
+			false,
+		},
 		{ // list of lists
 			cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{listOfStrings, listOfStrings}),
 			cty.NumberIntVal(0),
@@ -1207,16 +1231,28 @@ func TestElement(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			listOfStrings,
-			cty.NumberIntVal(-1),
+			cty.StringVal("brown"), // definitely not an index
 			cty.DynamicVal,
-			true, // index cannot be a negative number
+			true,
 		},
 		{
 			listOfStrings,
-			cty.StringVal("brown"), // definitely not an index
+			cty.NumberFloatVal(0.5),
 			cty.DynamicVal,
 			true,
 		},
+		{ // index out of bounds of int64
+			listOfStrings,
+			cty.MustParseNumberVal("-9223372036854775809"),
+			cty.StringVal("the"),
+			true,
+		},
+		{ // index out of bounds of int64
+			listOfStrings,
+			cty.MustParseNumberVal("9223372036854775808"),
+			cty.StringVal("fox"),
+			true,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {