diff --git a/tests/snippets/ints.py b/tests/snippets/ints.py
index 3bf91491d..2d36afcb6 100644
--- a/tests/snippets/ints.py
+++ b/tests/snippets/ints.py
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ assert not 1 < 1.0
 assert 1 >= 1.0
 assert 1 <= 1.0
 
+# check for argument handling
+
+assert int("101", base=2) == 5
+
 # magic methods should only be implemented for other ints
 
 assert (1).__eq__(1) == True
diff --git a/vm/src/obj/objint.rs b/vm/src/obj/objint.rs
index 8c240fba3..7e22f19be 100644
--- a/vm/src/obj/objint.rs
+++ b/vm/src/obj/objint.rs
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ fn int_new(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
         return Err(vm.new_type_error(format!("{:?} is not a subtype of int", cls)));
     }
 
-    // TODO: extract kwargs:
-    let base = 10;
+    let base = match args.get_optional_kwarg("base") {
+        Some(argument) => get_value(&argument).to_u32().unwrap(),
+        None => 10,
+    };
     let val = match val_option {
         Some(val) => to_int(vm, val, base)?,
         None => Zero::zero(),