diff --git a/src/__tests__/monzo.spec.ts b/src/__tests__/monzo.spec.ts
index dbfc3ae..ed7436e 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/monzo.spec.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/monzo.spec.ts
@@ -77,11 +77,16 @@ describe('Fraction to monzo converter', () => {
   });
 
   it('throws for zero', () => {
-    expect(() => toMonzoAndResidual(0, 1)).toThrow();
+    const [monzo, residual] = toMonzoAndResidual(0, 1);
+    expect(residual.equals(0)).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(monzo).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(new Fraction(2).pow(monzo[0]).mul(residual).equals(0)).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
   it('throws for zero (no vector part)', () => {
-    expect(() => toMonzoAndResidual(0, 0)).toThrow();
+    const [monzo, residual] = toMonzoAndResidual(0, 0);
+    expect(residual.equals(0)).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(monzo).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 });
 
@@ -106,12 +111,16 @@ describe('Prime limit calculator', () => {
     expect(primeLimit(45)).toBe(5);
   });
 
+  it('knows that the prime limit of 21 has ordinal #4', () => {
+    expect(primeLimit(21, true)).toBe(4);
+  });
+
   it('knows that the prime limit of 11859211/11859210 is 19', () => {
     expect(primeLimit('11859211/11859210')).toBe(19);
   });
 
   it('returns infinity when going beyond the given limit', () => {
-    expect(primeLimit(123456789, 97)).toBe(Infinity);
+    expect(primeLimit(123456789, false, 97)).toBe(Infinity);
   });
 
   it('stays within the given limit', () => {
@@ -120,6 +129,7 @@ describe('Prime limit calculator', () => {
         Math.ceil(Math.random() * 10000),
         Math.ceil(Math.random() * 10000)
       ),
+      false,
       97
     );
     if (limit < Infinity) {
diff --git a/src/monzo.ts b/src/monzo.ts
index 77c464b..7488667 100644
--- a/src/monzo.ts
+++ b/src/monzo.ts
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ export function toMonzoAndResidual(
   const denominator = n.d;
 
   if (!n.n) {
-    throw new Error('Cannot convert zero to monzo');
+    return [Array(numberOfComponents).fill(0), new Fraction(0)];
   }
 
   let nProbe = 1;
@@ -261,19 +261,27 @@ export function monzoToFraction(monzo: Iterable<number>) {
 /**
  * Calculate the prime limit of an integer or a fraction.
  * @param n Integer or fraction to calculate prime limit for.
+ * @param asOrdinal Return the limit as an ordinal instead of a prime. (1 is #0, 2 is #1, 3 is #2, 5 is #3, etc.)
  * @param maxLimit Maximum prime limit to consider.
  * @returns The largest prime in the factorization of the input. `Infinity` if above the maximum limit. `NaN` if not applicable.
  */
-export function primeLimit(n: FractionValue, maxLimit = 7919): number {
+export function primeLimit(
+  n: FractionValue,
+  asOrdinal = false,
+  maxLimit = 7919
+): number {
   if (typeof n !== 'number') {
     n = new Fraction(n);
-    return Math.max(primeLimit(n.n, maxLimit), primeLimit(n.d, maxLimit));
+    return Math.max(
+      primeLimit(n.n, asOrdinal, maxLimit),
+      primeLimit(n.d, asOrdinal, maxLimit)
+    );
   }
   if (n < 1 || Math.round(n) !== n) {
     return NaN;
   }
   if (n === 1) {
-    return 1;
+    return asOrdinal ? 0 : 1;
   }
 
   // Accumulate increasingly complex factors into the probe
@@ -285,7 +293,7 @@ export function primeLimit(n: FractionValue, maxLimit = 7919): number {
     // Bit-magic for small 2-limit
     probe = (n ^ (n - 1)) & n;
     if (n === probe) {
-      return 2;
+      return asOrdinal ? 1 : 2;
     }
     limitIndex = 1;
   }
@@ -300,7 +308,7 @@ export function primeLimit(n: FractionValue, maxLimit = 7919): number {
         return Infinity;
       }
     } else if (n === probe) {
-      return PRIMES[limitIndex];
+      return asOrdinal ? limitIndex + 1 : PRIMES[limitIndex];
     }
   }
 }