diff --git a/pyiceberg/utils/decimal.py b/pyiceberg/utils/decimal.py
index 5ef82640d9..83b9bda498 100644
--- a/pyiceberg/utils/decimal.py
+++ b/pyiceberg/utils/decimal.py
@@ -58,11 +58,16 @@ def bytes_required(value: int | Decimal) -> int:
         int: the minimum number of bytes needed to serialize the value.
     """
     if isinstance(value, int):
-        return (value.bit_length() + 8) // 8
+        unscaled = value
     elif isinstance(value, Decimal):
-        return (decimal_to_unscaled(value).bit_length() + 8) // 8
-
-    raise ValueError(f"Unsupported value: {value}")
+        unscaled = decimal_to_unscaled(value)
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Unsupported value: {value}")
+
+    # bit_length() overcounts negatives equal to -2**(8k-1) (e.g. -128, -32768) by one byte;
+    # using (unscaled + 1) for negatives yields the true minimum, matching the Iceberg spec.
+    n_bits = unscaled.bit_length() if unscaled >= 0 else (unscaled + 1).bit_length()
+    return (n_bits + 8) // 8
 
 
 def decimal_to_bytes(value: Decimal, byte_length: int | None = None) -> bytes:
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_decimal.py b/tests/utils/test_decimal.py
index 3e67bf691a..c08b3e6414 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_decimal.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_decimal.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from pyiceberg.utils.decimal import decimal_required_bytes, decimal_to_bytes
+from pyiceberg.utils.decimal import bytes_required, decimal_required_bytes, decimal_to_bytes
 
 
 def test_decimal_required_bytes() -> None:
@@ -42,8 +42,29 @@ def test_decimal_required_bytes() -> None:
     assert "(0, 40]" in str(exc_info.value)
 
 
+def test_bytes_required() -> None:
+    # Positive values and the negative values just past a byte boundary are unaffected.
+    assert bytes_required(0) == 1
+    assert bytes_required(127) == 1
+    assert bytes_required(128) == 2
+    assert bytes_required(-127) == 1
+    assert bytes_required(-129) == 2
+    # The most-negative value that fits in N bytes (-2**(8N-1)) must require exactly N bytes,
+    # not N + 1. These are the cases the previous (value.bit_length() + 8) // 8 formula overcounted.
+    assert bytes_required(-128) == 1
+    assert bytes_required(-32768) == 2
+    assert bytes_required(-8388608) == 3
+    # The same applies when the unscaled value comes from a Decimal.
+    assert bytes_required(Decimal("-1.28")) == 1
+    assert bytes_required(Decimal("-327.68")) == 2
+
+
 def test_decimal_to_bytes() -> None:
     # Check the boundary between 2 and 3 bytes.
     # 2 bytes has a minimum of -32,768 and a maximum value of 32,767 (inclusive).
     assert decimal_to_bytes(Decimal("32767.")) == b"\x7f\xff"
     assert decimal_to_bytes(Decimal("32768.")) == b"\x00\x80\x00"
+    # The most-negative value for a given width must serialize to the minimum number of bytes
+    # (matching the Iceberg spec / Java BigInteger.toByteArray), not one byte longer.
+    assert decimal_to_bytes(Decimal("-1.28")) == b"\x80"
+    assert decimal_to_bytes(Decimal("-327.68")) == b"\x80\x00"