diff --git a/scour/scour.py b/scour/scour.py
index a6dede0..7d2e320 100644
--- a/scour/scour.py
+++ b/scour/scour.py
@@ -2623,6 +2623,16 @@ def scourUnitlessLength(length, needsRendererWorkaround=False):  # length is of
     if not isinstance(length, Decimal):
         length = getcontext().create_decimal(str(length))
 
+    # remove trailing zeroes as we do not care for significance
+    intLength = length.to_integral_value()
+    if length == intLength:
+        length = Decimal(intLength)
+    else:
+        length = length.normalize()
+
+    # Gather the initial non-scientific notation version of the coordinate (we want to compare with it later)
+    initial_value = '{0:f}'.format(length)
+
     # reduce numeric precision
     # plus() corresponds to the unary prefix plus operator and applies context precision and rounding
     length = scouringContext.plus(length)
@@ -2634,15 +2644,14 @@ def scourUnitlessLength(length, needsRendererWorkaround=False):  # length is of
     else:
         length = length.normalize()
 
-    # gather the non-scientific notation version of the coordinate.
-    # this may actually be in scientific notation if the value is
-    # sufficiently large or small, so this is a misnomer.
-    nonsci = six.text_type(length).lower().replace("e+", "e")
+    # Gather the non-scientific notation version of the coordinate.
+    nonsci = '{0:f}'.format(length)
     if not needsRendererWorkaround:
         if len(nonsci) > 2 and nonsci[:2] == '0.':
             nonsci = nonsci[1:]  # remove the 0, leave the dot
         elif len(nonsci) > 3 and nonsci[:3] == '-0.':
             nonsci = '-' + nonsci[2:]  # remove the 0, leave the minus and dot
+    return_value = nonsci
 
     # Gather the scientific notation version of the coordinate which
     # can only be shorter if the length of the number is at least 4 characters (e.g. 1000 = 1e3).
@@ -2655,11 +2664,13 @@ def scourUnitlessLength(length, needsRendererWorkaround=False):  # length is of
         sci = six.text_type(length) + 'e' + six.text_type(exponent)
 
         if len(sci) < len(nonsci):
-            return sci
-        else:
-            return nonsci
+            return_value = sci
+
+    # Return the shortest representation (if they are equal prefer the original as it still has the full precision)
+    if len(return_value) < len(initial_value):
+        return return_value
     else:
-        return nonsci
+        return initial_value
 
 
 def reducePrecision(element):
diff --git a/testscour.py b/testscour.py
index 560f79b..879b7e8 100755
--- a/testscour.py
+++ b/testscour.py
@@ -956,6 +956,40 @@ class LimitPrecisionInPathData(unittest.TestCase):
                          'Not correctly limiting precision on path data')
 
 
+class KeepPrecisionInPathDataIfSameLength(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def runTest(self):
+        doc = scourXmlFile('unittests/path-precision.svg', parse_args(['--set-precision=1']))
+        paths = doc.getElementsByTagNameNS(SVGNS, 'path')
+        for path in paths[1:3]:
+            self.assertEqual(path.getAttribute('d'), "m1 12 123 1e3 1e4 1e5",
+                             'Precision not correctly reduced with "--set-precision=1" '
+                             'for path with ID ' + path.getAttribute('id'))
+        self.assertEqual(paths[4].getAttribute('d'), "m-1-12-123-1e3 -1e4 -1e5",
+                         'Precision not correctly reduced with "--set-precision=1" '
+                         'for path with ID ' + paths[4].getAttribute('id'))
+
+        doc = scourXmlFile('unittests/path-precision.svg', parse_args(['--set-precision=2']))
+        paths = doc.getElementsByTagNameNS(SVGNS, 'path')
+        for path in paths[1:3]:
+            self.assertEqual(path.getAttribute('d'), "m1 12 123 1234 12345 1.2e5",
+                             'Precision not correctly reduced with "--set-precision=2" '
+                             'for path with ID ' + path.getAttribute('id'))
+        self.assertEqual(paths[4].getAttribute('d'), "m-1-12-123-1234-12345-1.2e5",
+                         'Precision not correctly reduced with "--set-precision=2" '
+                         'for path with ID ' + paths[4].getAttribute('id'))
+
+        doc = scourXmlFile('unittests/path-precision.svg', parse_args(['--set-precision=3']))
+        paths = doc.getElementsByTagNameNS(SVGNS, 'path')
+        for path in paths[1:3]:
+            self.assertEqual(path.getAttribute('d'), "m1 12 123 1234 12345 123456",
+                             'Precision not correctly reduced with "--set-precision=3" '
+                             'for path with ID ' + path.getAttribute('id'))
+        self.assertEqual(paths[4].getAttribute('d'), "m-1-12-123-1234-12345-123456",
+                         'Precision not correctly reduced with "--set-precision=3" '
+                         'for path with ID ' + paths[4].getAttribute('id'))
+
+
 class RemoveEmptyLineSegmentsFromPath(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def runTest(self):
diff --git a/unittests/path-precision.svg b/unittests/path-precision.svg
index 8e1e267..1d644e4 100644
--- a/unittests/path-precision.svg
+++ b/unittests/path-precision.svg
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
-<svg viewBox="0 0 400 400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1">
-  <path d="M 100.0000001 99.9999999 h100.01 v123456789.123456789 h-100 z" fill="red" />
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<svg vxmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+  <path id="p0" d="M 100.0000001 99.9999999 h100.01 v123456789.123456789 h-100 z" />
+  
+  <path id="p1" d="m  1    12    123    1234    12345    123456  " />
+  <path id="p2" d="m  1.0  12.0  123.0  1234.0  12345.0  123456.0" />
+  <path id="p3" d="m 01   012   0123   01234   012345   0123456  " />
+  <path id="p4" d="m -1   -12   -123   -1234   -12345   -123456  " />
 </svg>