diff --git a/akka-distributed-data/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounter.scala b/akka-distributed-data/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounter.scala
index 40cbf1cc09..cb9c2a699d 100644
--- a/akka-distributed-data/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounter.scala
+++ b/akka-distributed-data/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounter.scala
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ final class PNCounter private[akka] (
    */
   def +(n: Long)(implicit node: Cluster): PNCounter = increment(node, n)
 
+  /**
+   * Increment the counter with the delta `n` specified.
+   * If the delta is negative then it will decrement instead of increment.
+   */
+  def +(n: BigInt)(implicit node: Cluster): PNCounter = increment(node, n)
+
   /**
    * Increment the counter with the delta `n` specified.
    * If the delta is negative then it will decrement instead of increment.
@@ -69,12 +75,32 @@ final class PNCounter private[akka] (
   def increment(node: Cluster, n: Long = 1): PNCounter =
     increment(node.selfUniqueAddress, n)
 
+  /**
+   * Scala API: Increment the counter with the delta `n` specified.
+   * If the delta is negative then it will decrement instead of increment.
+   */
+  def increment(node: Cluster, n: BigInt): PNCounter =
+    increment(node.selfUniqueAddress, n)
+
+  /**
+   * Java API: Increment the counter with the delta `n` specified.
+   * If the delta is negative then it will decrement instead of increment.
+   */
+  def increment(node: Cluster, n: java.math.BigInteger): PNCounter =
+    increment(node.selfUniqueAddress, n)
+
   /**
    * Decrement the counter with the delta `n` specified.
    * If the delta is negative then it will increment instead of decrement.
    */
   def -(n: Long)(implicit node: Cluster): PNCounter = decrement(node, n)
 
+  /**
+   * Decrement the counter with the delta `n` specified.
+   * If the delta is negative then it will increment instead of decrement.
+   */
+  def -(n: BigInt)(implicit node: Cluster): PNCounter = decrement(node, n)
+
   /**
    * Decrement the counter with the delta `n` specified.
    * If the delta `n` is negative then it will increment instead of decrement.
@@ -82,12 +108,26 @@ final class PNCounter private[akka] (
   def decrement(node: Cluster, n: Long = 1): PNCounter =
     decrement(node.selfUniqueAddress, n)
 
-  private[akka] def increment(key: UniqueAddress, n: Long): PNCounter = change(key, n)
+  /**
+   * Scala API: Decrement the counter with the delta `n` specified.
+   * If the delta `n` is negative then it will increment instead of decrement.
+   */
+  def decrement(node: Cluster, n: BigInt): PNCounter =
+    decrement(node.selfUniqueAddress, n)
+
+  /**
+   * Java API: Decrement the counter with the delta `n` specified.
+   * If the delta `n` is negative then it will increment instead of decrement.
+   */
+  def decrement(node: Cluster, n: java.math.BigInteger): PNCounter =
+    decrement(node.selfUniqueAddress, n)
+
+  private[akka] def increment(key: UniqueAddress, n: BigInt): PNCounter = change(key, n)
   private[akka] def increment(key: UniqueAddress): PNCounter = increment(key, 1)
-  private[akka] def decrement(key: UniqueAddress, n: Long): PNCounter = change(key, -n)
+  private[akka] def decrement(key: UniqueAddress, n: BigInt): PNCounter = change(key, -n)
   private[akka] def decrement(key: UniqueAddress): PNCounter = decrement(key, 1)
 
-  private[akka] def change(key: UniqueAddress, n: Long): PNCounter =
+  private[akka] def change(key: UniqueAddress, n: BigInt): PNCounter =
     if (n > 0) copy(increments = increments.increment(key, n))
     else if (n < 0) copy(decrements = decrements.increment(key, -n))
     else this
diff --git a/akka-distributed-data/src/test/java/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounterTest.java b/akka-distributed-data/src/test/java/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounterTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4900064e41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-distributed-data/src/test/java/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounterTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2018 Lightbend Inc. <https://www.lightbend.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.cluster.ddata;
+
+import akka.cluster.Cluster;
+
+import java.math.BigInteger;
+
+public class PNCounterTest {
+
+
+  public void compileOnlyPNCounterApiTest() {
+    // primarily to check API accessibility with overloads/types
+    Cluster node1 = null;
+    Cluster node2 = null;
+
+    PNCounter c1 = PNCounter.create();
+
+    PNCounter c2 = c1.increment(node1, BigInteger.valueOf(3));
+    PNCounter c3 = c2.increment(node1, 4L);
+
+    PNCounter c4 = c3.decrement(node2, BigInteger.valueOf(2));
+    PNCounter c5 = c4.decrement(node2, 7L);
+
+  }
+}
diff --git a/akka-distributed-data/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounterSpec.scala b/akka-distributed-data/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounterSpec.scala
index 054168ed7f..b3095e6377 100644
--- a/akka-distributed-data/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounterSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-distributed-data/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ddata/PNCounterSpec.scala
@@ -72,6 +72,20 @@ class PNCounterSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers {
       c6.increments.state(node2) should be(10)
     }
 
+    "be able to increment each node's record by arbitrary BigInt delta" in {
+      val c1 = PNCounter()
+
+      val c2 = c1 increment (node1, BigInt(3))
+      val c3 = c2 increment (node1, BigInt(4))
+
+      val c4 = c3 increment (node2, BigInt(2))
+      val c5 = c4 increment (node2, BigInt(7))
+      val c6 = c5 increment node2
+
+      c6.increments.state(node1) should be(7)
+      c6.increments.state(node2) should be(10)
+    }
+
     "be able to decrement each node's record by arbitrary delta" in {
       val c1 = PNCounter()