diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/expr_algebra.c b/tools/qfcc/source/expr_algebra.c
index 1213c13cb..9a25a95e0 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/expr_algebra.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/expr_algebra.c
@@ -86,17 +86,25 @@ anti_com (const expr_t *e)
 	return e && e->type == ex_expr && e->expr.anticommute;
 }
 
+static bool __attribute__((const))
+op_commute (int op)
+{
+	return (op == '+' || op == '*' || op == HADAMARD || op == DOT);
+}
+
+static bool __attribute__((const))
+op_anti_com (int op)
+{
+	return (op == '-' || op == CROSS || op == WEDGE);
+}
+
 static const expr_t *
 typed_binary_expr (type_t *type, int op, const expr_t *e1, const expr_t *e2)
 {
 	auto e = new_binary_expr (op, e1, e2);
 	e->expr.type = type;
-	if (op == '+' || op == '*' || op == HADAMARD || op == DOT) {
-		e->expr.commutative = true;
-	}
-	if (op == '-' || op == CROSS || op == WEDGE) {
-		e->expr.anticommute = true;
-	}
+	e->expr.commutative = op_commute (op);
+	e->expr.anticommute = op_anti_com (op);
 	return e;
 }
 
@@ -634,6 +642,22 @@ static const expr_t *
 distribute_product (type_t *type, int op, const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b,
 					bool (*reject) (const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b))
 {
+	bool neg = false;
+	if (is_neg (a)) {
+		neg = !neg;
+		a = neg_expr (a);
+	}
+	if (is_neg (b)) {
+		neg = !neg;
+		b = neg_expr (b);
+	}
+	if (op_anti_com (op) && neg) {
+		auto t = a;
+		a = b;
+		b = t;
+		neg = false;
+	}
+
 	int a_terms = count_terms (a);
 	int b_terms = count_terms (b);
 
@@ -696,8 +720,15 @@ distribute_product (type_t *type, int op, const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b,
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	auto sum = sum_expr_low (type, '-', a, b);
-	return sum;
+	if (neg) {
+		// note order ----------------------V--V
+		auto sum = sum_expr_low (type, '-', b, a);
+		return sum;
+	} else {
+		// note order ----------------------V--V
+		auto sum = sum_expr_low (type, '-', a, b);
+		return sum;
+	}
 }
 
 static const expr_t *
@@ -715,16 +746,6 @@ scale_expr (type_t *type, const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b)
 	}
 	int  op = is_scalar (get_type (a)) ? '*' : SCALE;
 
-	bool neg = false;
-	if (is_neg (a)) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		a = neg_expr (a);
-	}
-	if (is_neg (b)) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		b = neg_expr (b);
-	}
-
 	if (is_scale (a)) {
 		// covert scale (scale (X, y), z) to scale (X, y*z)
 		b = scale_expr (get_type (b), b, a->expr.e2);
@@ -737,11 +758,6 @@ scale_expr (type_t *type, const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b)
 	}
 	scale = fold_constants (scale);
 	scale = edag_add_expr (scale);
-	if (neg) {
-		scale = neg_expr (scale);
-		scale = fold_constants (scale);
-		scale = edag_add_expr (scale);
-	}
 	scale = cast_expr (type, scale);
 	scale = edag_add_expr (scale);
 	return scale;
@@ -809,15 +825,6 @@ dot_expr (type_t *type, const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b)
 		// propagated zero
 		return 0;
 	}
-	bool neg = false;
-	if (is_neg (a)) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		a = neg_expr (a);
-	}
-	if (is_neg (b)) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		b = neg_expr (b);
-	}
 
 	int a_terms = count_terms (a);
 	int b_terms = count_terms (b);
@@ -850,10 +857,6 @@ dot_expr (type_t *type, const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b)
 	if (prod) {
 		dot = scale_expr (type, dot, prod);
 	}
-	if (neg) {
-		dot = neg_expr (dot);
-		dot = edag_add_expr (dot);
-	}
 	return dot;
 }
 
@@ -895,20 +898,6 @@ cross_expr (type_t *type, const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b)
 		// propagated zero
 		return 0;
 	}
-	bool neg = false;
-	if (is_neg (a)) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		a = neg_expr (a);
-	}
-	if (is_neg (b)) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		b = neg_expr (b);
-	}
-	if (neg) {
-		auto t = a;
-		a = b;
-		b = t;
-	}
 
 	if (traverse_scale (a) == traverse_scale (b)) {
 		return 0;
@@ -944,20 +933,6 @@ wedge_expr (type_t *type, const expr_t *a, const expr_t *b)
 		// propagated zero
 		return 0;
 	}
-	bool neg = false;
-	if (is_neg (a)) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		a = neg_expr (a);
-	}
-	if (is_neg (b)) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		b = neg_expr (b);
-	}
-	if (neg) {
-		auto t = a;
-		a = b;
-		b = t;
-	}
 	auto wedge = distribute_product (type, WEDGE, a, b, reject_wedge);
 	if (!wedge) {
 		return 0;