diff --git a/build-aux/check-mescc.sh b/build-aux/check-mescc.sh
index d19bbdf6..4999cb42 100755
--- a/build-aux/check-mescc.sh
+++ b/build-aux/check-mescc.sh
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ scaffold/tests/84-struct-field-list
 scaffold/tests/85-sizeof
 lib/tests/dirent/90-readdir
 lib/tests/io/90-stat
+lib/tests/mes/90-abtod
 lib/tests/posix/90-execlp
 lib/tests/posix/90-unsetenv
 lib/tests/signal/90-signal
diff --git a/include/libmes.h b/include/libmes.h
index 579f4709..f9763698 100644
--- a/include/libmes.h
+++ b/include/libmes.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <libmes-mini.h>
 
 int __mes_debug ();
+double abtod (char const** p, int base);
 long abtol (char const** p, int base);
 char const* ntoab (long number, int base, int signed_p);
 char const* itoa (int number);
diff --git a/lib/libc+gnu.c b/lib/libc+gnu.c
index 873228c4..4a86d5a3 100644
--- a/lib/libc+gnu.c
+++ b/lib/libc+gnu.c
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@
 #include <math/fabs.c>
 
 // gcc
-
 #include <stdio/freopen.c>
 #include <stub/times.c>
 #include <posix/sleep.c>
@@ -122,6 +121,7 @@
 
 // gawk
 #include <ctype/isgraph.c>
+// #include <mes/abtod.c> in libc+tcc for strtod,strtof (could be stubbed)
 
 // tar
 #include <posix/execlp.c>
diff --git a/lib/libc+tcc.c b/lib/libc+tcc.c
index 177da71b..a579d991 100644
--- a/lib/libc+tcc.c
+++ b/lib/libc+tcc.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*-comment-start: "//";comment-end:""-*-
  * GNU Mes --- Maxwell Equations of Software
- * Copyright © 2017,2018 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
+ * Copyright © 2017,2018,2019 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
  *
  * This file is part of GNU Mes.
  *
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ int errno;
 #include <ctype/isupper.c>
 #include <ctype/tolower.c>
 #include <ctype/toupper.c>
+#include <mes/abtod.c> // implementation instead of stub for GNU gawk
 #include <mes/search-path.c>
 #include <posix/execvp.c>
 #include <stdio/fclose.c>
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ int errno;
 #include <stdio/vsscanf.c>
 #include <stdlib/calloc.c>
 #include <stdlib/qsort.c>
+#include <stdlib/strtod.c>
 #include <stdlib/strtof.c>
 #include <stdlib/strtol.c>
 #include <stdlib/strtold.c>
@@ -105,5 +107,4 @@ int errno;
 #include <stub/ldexp.c>
 #include <stub/mprotect.c>
 #include <stub/localtime.c>
-#include <stub/strtod.c>
 #include <stub/sigemptyset.c>
diff --git a/lib/mes/abtod.c b/lib/mes/abtod.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6cb0aca2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/mes/abtod.c
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/* -*-comment-start: "//";comment-end:""-*-
+ * GNU Mes --- Maxwell Equations of Software
+ * Copyright © 2016,2017,2018,2019 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
+ *
+ * This file is part of GNU Mes.
+ *
+ * GNU Mes is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+ * your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * GNU Mes is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with GNU Mes.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <libmes.h>
+
+double
+abtod (char const **p, int base)
+{
+  char const *s = *p;
+  double d = 0;
+  int sign_p = 0;
+  if (!base)
+    base = 10;
+  double dbase = base;
+  long i = abtol (&s, base);
+  long f = 0;
+  long e = 0;
+  if (*s == '.')
+    {
+      s++;
+      f = abtol (&s, base);
+    }
+  if (*s == 'e')
+    {
+      s++;
+      e = abtol (&s, base);
+    }
+  d = i + f / dbase;
+  if (e < 0)
+    while (e++)
+        d = d / dbase;
+    while (e--)
+        d = d * dbase;
+  *p = s;
+  return sign_p ? -d : d;
+}
diff --git a/lib/mes/abtol.c b/lib/mes/abtol.c
index 69ec50a6..64dc5c93 100644
--- a/lib/mes/abtol.c
+++ b/lib/mes/abtol.c
@@ -25,12 +25,16 @@ abtol (char const **p, int base)
 {
   char const *s = *p;
   int i = 0;
-  int sign = 1;
+  int sign_p = 0;
   if (!base)
     base = 10;
+  while (isspace (*s))
+    s++;
+  if (*s && *s == '+')
+    s++;
   if (*s && *s == '-')
     {
-      sign = -1;
+      sign_p = 1;
       s++;
     }
   while (isnumber (*s, base))
@@ -41,5 +45,5 @@ abtol (char const **p, int base)
       s++;
     }
   *p = s;
-  return i * sign;
+  return sign_p ? -i : i;
 }
diff --git a/lib/stdlib/strtod.c b/lib/stdlib/strtod.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b22851e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/stdlib/strtod.c
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/* -*-comment-start: "//";comment-end:""-*-
+ * GNU Mes --- Maxwell Equations of Software
+ * Copyright © 2017,2018,2019 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
+ *
+ * This file is part of GNU Mes.
+ *
+ * GNU Mes is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+ * your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * GNU Mes is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with GNU Mes.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <libmes.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+double
+strtod (char const *string, char **tailptr)
+{
+  int base = 10;
+  if (!strncmp (string, "0x", 2))
+    {
+      string += 2;
+      base = 16;
+    }
+  if (tailptr)
+    {
+      *tailptr = string;
+      return abtod (tailptr, base);
+    }
+  char **p = &string;
+  return abtod (p, base);
+}
diff --git a/lib/stub/strtod.c b/lib/tests/mes/90-abtod.c
similarity index 79%
rename from lib/stub/strtod.c
rename to lib/tests/mes/90-abtod.c
index 9a74fe0f..dc7c3814 100644
--- a/lib/stub/strtod.c
+++ b/lib/tests/mes/90-abtod.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*-comment-start: "//";comment-end:""-*-
  * GNU Mes --- Maxwell Equations of Software
- * Copyright © 2017,2018 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
+ * Copyright © 2019 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
  *
  * This file is part of GNU Mes.
  *
@@ -21,12 +21,13 @@
 #include <libmes.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
-double
-strtod (char const *string, char **tailptr)
+int
+main ()
 {
-  static int stub = 0;
-  if (__mes_debug () && !stub)
-    eputs ("strtod stub\n");
-  stub = 1;
+  char *s = "1.2e3";
+  char *p = s;
+  double d =  abtod (&p, 0);
+  printf ("%f\n", d);
+
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/mes/90-abtod.stdout b/lib/tests/mes/90-abtod.stdout
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..84402f49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tests/mes/90-abtod.stdout
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1200.000000