diff --git a/sanitiser/_latlonzoom.js b/sanitiser/_latlonzoom.js
index 5120074d..d1a17033 100644
--- a/sanitiser/_latlonzoom.js
+++ b/sanitiser/_latlonzoom.js
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ function sanitize( req ){
 
   // lat
   var lat = parseFloat( params.lat, 10 );
-  if( isNaN( lat ) || lat < 0 || lat > 90 ){
+  if( isNaN( lat ) || lat < -90 || lat > 90 ){
     return {
       'error': true,
-      'message': 'invalid param \'lat\': must be >0 and <90' 
-    }
+      'message': 'invalid param \'lat\': must be >-90 and <90'
+    };
   }
   clean.lat = lat;
 
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ function sanitize( req ){
   if( isNaN( lon ) || lon < -180 || lon > 180 ){
     return {
       'error': true,
-      'message': 'invalid param \'lon\': must be >-180 and <180' 
-    }
+      'message': 'invalid param \'lon\': must be >-180 and <180'
+    };
   }
   clean.lon = lon;
 
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitiser/sanitise.js b/test/unit/sanitiser/sanitise.js
index bb1402ec..b183d2f9 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitiser/sanitise.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitiser/sanitise.js
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize_input = function(test, common) {
 
 module.exports.tests.sanitize_lat = function(test, common) {
   var lats = {
-    invalid: [ -1, -45, -90, 91, 120, 181 ],
+    invalid: [ -181, -120, -91, 91, 120, 181 ],
     valid: [ 0, 45, 90, -0, '0', '45', '90' ]
   };
   lats.invalid.forEach( function( lat ){
     test('invalid lat', function(t) {
       sanitize({ input: 'test', lat: lat, lon: 0 }, function( err, clean ){
-        t.equal(err, 'invalid param \'lat\': must be >0 and <90', 'invalid latitude');
+        t.equal(err, 'invalid param \'lat\': must be >-90 and <90', 'invalid latitude');
         t.equal(clean, undefined, 'clean not set');
         t.end();
       });