diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_log_det.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_log_det.hpp
index b8a9918b..6d53e5e0 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/fn_log_det.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/fn_log_det.hpp
@@ -89,21 +89,21 @@ log_det
   
   eT x = A[0];
   
-  T  sign = (is_cx<eT>::no) ? ( (access::tmp_real(x) < T(0)) ? -1 : +1 ) : +1;
-  eT val  = (is_cx<eT>::no) ? std::log( (access::tmp_real(x) < T(0)) ? x*T(-1) : x ) : std::log(x);
+  T  sign = (is_cx<eT>::no) ?         ( (access::tmp_real(x) < T(0)) ?   T(-1) : T(1) ) : T(1);
+  eT val  = (is_cx<eT>::no) ? std::log( (access::tmp_real(x) < T(0)) ? x*T(-1) : x    ) : std::log(x);
   
   for(uword i=1; i<N; ++i)
     {
     x = A[i];
     
-    sign *= (is_cx<eT>::no) ? ( (access::tmp_real(x) < T(0)) ? -1 : +1 ) : +1;
-    val  += (is_cx<eT>::no) ? std::log( (access::tmp_real(x) < T(0)) ? x*T(-1) : x ) : std::log(x);
+    sign *= (is_cx<eT>::no) ?         ( (access::tmp_real(x) < T(0)) ?   T(-1) : T(1) ) : T(1);
+    val  += (is_cx<eT>::no) ? std::log( (access::tmp_real(x) < T(0)) ? x*T(-1) : x    ) : std::log(x);
     }
   
   out_val  = val;
   out_sign = sign;
   
-  return true;  // TODO: detect failure
+  return arma_isnan(out_val);
   }