diff --git a/clients/bigquery/storagewrite_test.go b/clients/bigquery/storagewrite_test.go
index 36a8a0c38..7a0c5c073 100644
--- a/clients/bigquery/storagewrite_test.go
+++ b/clients/bigquery/storagewrite_test.go
@@ -137,9 +137,9 @@ func TestRowToMessage(t *testing.T) {
 		"c_float_int32":    int32(1234),
 		"c_float_int64":    int64(1234),
 		"c_float_string":   "4444.55555",
-		"c_numeric":        decimal.NewDecimal(nil, 5, mustParseDecimal("3.1415926")),
+		"c_numeric":        decimal.NewDecimal(nil, mustParseDecimal("3.14159")),
 		"c_string":         "foo bar",
-		"c_string_decimal": decimal.NewDecimal(nil, 5, mustParseDecimal("1.618033")),
+		"c_string_decimal": decimal.NewDecimal(nil, mustParseDecimal("1.61803")),
 		"c_time":           ext.NewExtendedTime(time.Date(0, 0, 0, 4, 5, 6, 7, time.UTC), ext.TimeKindType, ""),
 		"c_date":           ext.NewExtendedTime(time.Date(2001, 2, 3, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC), ext.DateKindType, ""),
 		"c_datetime":       ext.NewExtendedTime(time.Date(2001, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, time.UTC), ext.DateTimeKindType, ""),
diff --git a/lib/debezium/types.go b/lib/debezium/types.go
index 13917104a..c7af11e9c 100644
--- a/lib/debezium/types.go
+++ b/lib/debezium/types.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func (f Field) DecodeDecimal(encoded []byte) (*decimal.Decimal, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get scale and/or precision: %w", err)
 	}
 	_decimal := DecodeDecimal(encoded, int32(scale))
-	return decimal.NewDecimal(precision, scale, _decimal), nil
+	return decimal.NewDecimal(precision, _decimal), nil
 }
 
 func (f Field) DecodeDebeziumVariableDecimal(value any) (*decimal.Decimal, error) {
@@ -261,5 +261,5 @@ func (f Field) DecodeDebeziumVariableDecimal(value any) (*decimal.Decimal, error
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	_decimal := DecodeDecimal(bytes, int32(scale))
-	return decimal.NewDecimal(ptr.ToInt(decimal.PrecisionNotSpecified), scale, _decimal), nil
+	return decimal.NewDecimal(ptr.ToInt(decimal.PrecisionNotSpecified), _decimal), nil
 }
diff --git a/lib/parquetutil/parse_values_test.go b/lib/parquetutil/parse_values_test.go
index 7953368b0..5174ddb7d 100644
--- a/lib/parquetutil/parse_values_test.go
+++ b/lib/parquetutil/parse_values_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func TestParseValue(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			name:          "decimal",
-			colVal:        decimal.NewDecimal(ptr.ToInt(30), 5, numbers.MustParseDecimal("5000.2232")),
+			colVal:        decimal.NewDecimal(ptr.ToInt(30), numbers.MustParseDecimal("5000.22320")),
 			colKind:       columns.NewColumn("", eDecimal),
 			expectedValue: "5000.22320",
 		},
diff --git a/lib/typing/decimal/decimal.go b/lib/typing/decimal/decimal.go
index 281546a25..06c83b2fa 100644
--- a/lib/typing/decimal/decimal.go
+++ b/lib/typing/decimal/decimal.go
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 package decimal
 
 import (
-	"github.com/artie-labs/transfer/lib/numbers"
 	"github.com/artie-labs/transfer/lib/ptr"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/apd/v3"
 )
 
 // Decimal is Artie's wrapper around [apd.Decimal] which can store large numbers w/ no precision loss.
 type Decimal struct {
-	scale     int
 	precision *int
 	value     *apd.Decimal
 }
@@ -21,7 +19,9 @@ const (
 	MaxPrecisionBeforeString = 38
 )
 
-func NewDecimal(precision *int, scale int, value *apd.Decimal) *Decimal {
+func NewDecimal(precision *int, value *apd.Decimal) *Decimal {
+	scale := int(-value.Exponent)
+
 	if precision != nil {
 		if scale > *precision && *precision != -1 {
 			// Note: -1 precision means it's not specified.
@@ -33,14 +33,13 @@ func NewDecimal(precision *int, scale int, value *apd.Decimal) *Decimal {
 	}
 
 	return &Decimal{
-		scale:     scale,
 		precision: precision,
 		value:     value,
 	}
 }
 
 func (d *Decimal) Scale() int {
-	return d.scale
+	return int(-d.value.Exponent)
 }
 
 func (d *Decimal) Precision() *int {
@@ -51,14 +50,9 @@ func (d *Decimal) Precision() *int {
 // This is particularly useful for Snowflake because we're writing all the values as STRINGS into TSV format.
 // This function guarantees backwards compatibility.
 func (d *Decimal) String() string {
-	targetExponent := -int32(d.scale)
-	value := d.value
-	if value.Exponent != targetExponent {
-		value = numbers.DecimalWithNewExponent(value, targetExponent)
-	}
-	return value.Text('f')
+	return d.value.Text('f')
 }
 
 func (d *Decimal) Details() DecimalDetails {
-	return DecimalDetails{scale: d.scale, precision: d.precision}
+	return DecimalDetails{scale: d.Scale(), precision: d.precision}
 }
diff --git a/lib/typing/values/string_test.go b/lib/typing/values/string_test.go
index 62a7ac9cc..af33186d3 100644
--- a/lib/typing/values/string_test.go
+++ b/lib/typing/values/string_test.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func TestToString(t *testing.T) {
 		// Decimals
 		_decimal, _, err := apd.NewFromString("585692791691858.25")
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
-		value := decimal.NewDecimal(ptr.ToInt(38), 2, _decimal)
+		value := decimal.NewDecimal(ptr.ToInt(38), _decimal)
 		val, err = ToString(value, columns.Column{KindDetails: typing.EDecimal}, nil)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Equal(t, "585692791691858.25", val)