diff --git a/ginac/flags.h b/ginac/flags.h
index c97229af..c657a4f8 100644
--- a/ginac/flags.h
+++ b/ginac/flags.h
@@ -200,7 +200,8 @@ public:
 		has_no_indices	= 0x0040, // ! (has_indices || has_no_indices) means "don't know"
 		is_positive	= 0x0080,
 		is_negative	= 0x0100,
-		purely_indefinite = 0x0200  // If set in a mul, then it does not contains any terms with determined signs, used in power::expand()
+		purely_indefinite = 0x0200, // If set in a mul, then it does not contains any terms with determined signs, used in power::expand()
+		normal			= 0x0400 ///< .normal() was used to make this expression
 	};
 };
 
diff --git a/ginac/mul.cpp b/ginac/mul.cpp
index 68ea6851..aa6ad700 100644
--- a/ginac/mul.cpp
+++ b/ginac/mul.cpp
@@ -1080,7 +1080,7 @@ ex mul::expand(unsigned options) const
 		}
 	}
 	if (monomial_case) {
-		setflag(status_flags::expanded);
+		setflag(status_flags::expanded | status_flags::normal);
 		return *this;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ginac/normal.cpp b/ginac/normal.cpp
index 231ef7e8..ce0fc1f6 100644
--- a/ginac/normal.cpp
+++ b/ginac/normal.cpp
@@ -2306,6 +2306,10 @@ ex pseries::normal(exmap & repl, exmap & rev_lookup) const
  *  @return normalized expression */
 ex ex::normal() const
 {
+	if (bp->flags & status_flags::normal) {
+		return *this;
+	}
+
 	exmap repl, rev_lookup;
 
 	ex e = bp->normal(repl, rev_lookup);
@@ -2316,7 +2320,9 @@ ex ex::normal() const
 		e = e.subs(repl, subs_options::no_pattern);
 
 	// Convert {numerator, denominator} form back to fraction
-	return e.op(0) / e.op(1);
+	ex r = e.op(0) / e.op(1);
+	r.bp->setflag(status_flags::normal);
+	return r;
 }
 
 /** Get numerator of an expression. If the expression is not of the normal
@@ -2333,10 +2339,10 @@ ex ex::numer() const
 	GINAC_ASSERT(is_a<lst>(e));
 
 	// Re-insert replaced symbols
-	if (repl.empty())
-		return e.op(0);
-	else
-		return e.op(0).subs(repl, subs_options::no_pattern);
+    ex r =
+        repl.empty() ? e.op(0) : e.op(0).subs(repl, subs_options::no_pattern);
+	r.bp->setflag(status_flags::normal);
+	return r;
 }
 
 /** Get denominator of an expression. If the expression is not of the normal
@@ -2353,10 +2359,10 @@ ex ex::denom() const
 	GINAC_ASSERT(is_a<lst>(e));
 
 	// Re-insert replaced symbols
-	if (repl.empty())
-		return e.op(1);
-	else
-		return e.op(1).subs(repl, subs_options::no_pattern);
+    ex r =
+        repl.empty() ? e.op(1) : e.op(1).subs(repl, subs_options::no_pattern);
+	r.bp->setflag(status_flags::normal);
+	return r;
 }
 
 /** Get numerator and denominator of an expression. If the expression is not
@@ -2373,10 +2379,10 @@ ex ex::numer_denom() const
 	GINAC_ASSERT(is_a<lst>(e));
 
 	// Re-insert replaced symbols
-	if (repl.empty())
-		return e;
-	else
-		return e.subs(repl, subs_options::no_pattern);
+    ex r = repl.empty() ? e : e.subs(repl, subs_options::no_pattern);
+	r.let_op(0).bp->setflag(status_flags::normal);
+	r.let_op(1).bp->setflag(status_flags::normal);
+    return r;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/ginac/power.cpp b/ginac/power.cpp
index 62fc3a8d..334fecd3 100644
--- a/ginac/power.cpp
+++ b/ginac/power.cpp
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ ex power::expand(unsigned options) const
 {
 	if (is_a<symbol>(basis) && exponent.info(info_flags::integer)) {
 		// A special case worth optimizing.
-		setflag(status_flags::expanded);
+		setflag(status_flags::expanded | status_flags::normal);
 		return *this;
 	}