diff --git a/src/uu/join/src/join.rs b/src/uu/join/src/join.rs
index a338a22c4e6..f9d9444b8c6 100644
--- a/src/uu/join/src/join.rs
+++ b/src/uu/join/src/join.rs
@@ -809,8 +809,13 @@ fn get_field_number(keys: Option<usize>, key: Option<usize>) -> UResult<usize> {
 /// Parse the specified field string as a natural number and return
 /// the zero-based field number.
 fn parse_field_number(value: &str) -> UResult<usize> {
+    // TODO: use ParseIntError.kind() once MSRV >= 1.55
+    // For now, store an overflow Err from parsing a value 10x 64 bit usize::MAX
+    // Adapted from https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/22639
+    let overflow = "184467440737095516150".parse::<usize>().err().unwrap();
     match value.parse::<usize>() {
         Ok(result) if result > 0 => Ok(result - 1),
+        Err(ref e) if *e == overflow => Ok(usize::MAX),
         _ => Err(USimpleError::new(
             1,
             format!("invalid field number: {}", value.quote()),
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_join.rs b/tests/by-util/test_join.rs
index 4b2d1bbbaee..86e60b69f70 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_join.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_join.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,27 @@ fn different_field() {
         .stdout_only_fixture("different_field.expected");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn out_of_bounds_fields() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .arg("fields_1.txt")
+        .arg("fields_4.txt")
+        .arg("-1")
+        .arg("3")
+        .arg("-2")
+        .arg("5")
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only_fixture("out_of_bounds_fields.expected");
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .arg("fields_1.txt")
+        .arg("fields_4.txt")
+        .arg("-j")
+        .arg("100000000000000000000") // > usize::MAX for 64 bits
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only_fixture("out_of_bounds_fields.expected");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn unpaired_lines() {
     new_ucmd!()
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/join/out_of_bounds_fields.expected b/tests/fixtures/join/out_of_bounds_fields.expected
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..98b0f84fe7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/join/out_of_bounds_fields.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+ 1 2 c 1 cd
+ 1 3 d 2 de
+ 1 5 e 3 ef
+ 1 7 f 4 fg
+ 1 11 g 5 gh
+ 2 2 c 1 cd
+ 2 3 d 2 de
+ 2 5 e 3 ef
+ 2 7 f 4 fg
+ 2 11 g 5 gh
+ 3 2 c 1 cd
+ 3 3 d 2 de
+ 3 5 e 3 ef
+ 3 7 f 4 fg
+ 3 11 g 5 gh
+ 5 2 c 1 cd
+ 5 3 d 2 de
+ 5 5 e 3 ef
+ 5 7 f 4 fg
+ 5 11 g 5 gh
+ 8 2 c 1 cd
+ 8 3 d 2 de
+ 8 5 e 3 ef
+ 8 7 f 4 fg
+ 8 11 g 5 gh