diff --git a/tools/battery/shelx_check.py b/tools/battery/shelx_check.py
index fc38c29d9..b84b8a8a9 100644
--- a/tools/battery/shelx_check.py
+++ b/tools/battery/shelx_check.py
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ def run_shelxl(shelxl, name, cwd):
     k_top = None
     i = lst.rfind("Analysis of variance for reflections employed in refinement")
     if i >= 0:
-        m = re.search(r"\n\s+K\s+([\d. ]+)", lst[i:i + 3000])
+        m = re.search(r"\n\s+K\s+([-\d. ]+)", lst[i:i + 3000])
         k_top = num(m.group(1).split()[-1]) if m else None
     n4 = last(r"R1 =\s*[\d.]+ for\s+(\d+) Fo > 4sig")
     return {"shx_r1": num(last(r"R1 =\s*([\d.]+) for\s+\d+ Fo > 4sig")),