diff --git a/src/generic/FreeAssociativeAlgebra.jl b/src/generic/FreeAssociativeAlgebra.jl
index b82756a4a..c7e920689 100644
--- a/src/generic/FreeAssociativeAlgebra.jl
+++ b/src/generic/FreeAssociativeAlgebra.jl
@@ -133,10 +133,14 @@ function (a::FreeAssociativeAlgebra{T})(b::T) where T
     return FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}(a, T[b], [Int[]], 1)
 end
 
-function (a::FreeAssociativeAlgebra{T})(b::Integer) where T
-    iszero(b) && return zero(a)
+function (a::FreeAssociativeAlgebra{T})(b::Union{Integer, Rational, AbstractFloat}) where T
     R = base_ring(a)
-    return FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}(a, T[R(b)], [Int[]], 1)
+    return a(R(b))
+end
+
+function (a::FreeAssociativeAlgebra{T})(b::T) where {T <: Union{Integer, Rational, AbstractFloat}}
+    iszero(b) && return zero(a)
+    return FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}(a, T[b], [Int[]], 1)
 end
 
 function (a::FreeAssociativeAlgebra{T})(b::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}) where T <: RingElement
@@ -633,6 +637,20 @@ end
 #
 ###############################################################################
 
+function *(a::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem, n::Union{Integer, Rational, AbstractFloat})
+    z = zero(a)
+    return mul!(z, a, n)
+end
+
+function *(a::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}, n::T) where {T <: RingElem}
+    z = zero(a)
+    return mul!(z, a, n)
+end
+
+*(n::Union{Integer, Rational, AbstractFloat}, a::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem) = a*n
+
+*(n::T, a::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}) where {T <: RingElem} = a*n
+
 function divexact(
     a::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T},
     b::Integer;
@@ -786,6 +804,33 @@ function sub!(z::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}, a::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}
     return z
 end
 
+function mul!(a::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}, n::Union{Integer, Rational, AbstractFloat, T}) where T <: RingElement
+    for i in 1:length(a)
+        a.coeffs[i] = mul!(a.coeffs[i], n)
+    end
+    return a
+end
+
+function mul!(z::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}, a::FreeAssociativeAlgebraElem{T}, n::Union{Integer, Rational, AbstractFloat, T}) where T <: RingElement
+    if z === a
+        return mul!(a, n)
+    end
+    fit!(z, length(a))
+    j = 1
+    for i = 1:length(a)
+        if isassigned(z.coeffs, j)
+            z.coeffs[j] = mul!(z.coeffs[j], a.coeffs[i], n)
+        else
+            z.coeffs[j] = a.coeffs[i] * n
+        end
+        if !iszero(z.coeffs[j])
+            z.exps[j] = a.exps[i]
+            j += 1
+        end
+    end
+    z.length = j - 1
+    return z
+end
 
 ################################################################################
 #
diff --git a/test/generic/FreeAssociativeAlgebra-test.jl b/test/generic/FreeAssociativeAlgebra-test.jl
index 5ee356686..a89e3e363 100644
--- a/test/generic/FreeAssociativeAlgebra-test.jl
+++ b/test/generic/FreeAssociativeAlgebra-test.jl
@@ -216,6 +216,64 @@ end
    end
 end
 
+@testset "Generic.FreeAssociativeAlgebra.adhoc_binary" begin
+   R, x = ZZ["y"]
+
+   for num_vars = 1:10
+      var_names = ["x$j" for j in 1:num_vars]
+
+      S, varlist = free_associative_algebra(R, var_names)
+
+      for iter = 1:100
+         f = rand(S, 0:5, 0:100, 0:0, -100:100)
+
+         d1 = rand(-20:20)
+         d2 = rand(-20:20)
+         g1 = rand(R, 0:2, -10:10)
+         g2 = rand(R, 0:2, -10:10)
+
+         @test f*d1 + f*d2 == (d1 + d2)*f
+         @test f*BigInt(d1) + f*BigInt(d2) == (BigInt(d1) + BigInt(d2))*f
+         @test f*g1 + f*g2 == (g1 + g2)*f
+
+         @test f + d1 + d2 == d1 + d2 + f
+         @test f + BigInt(d1) + BigInt(d2) == BigInt(d1) + BigInt(d2) + f
+         @test f + g1 + g2 == g1 + g2 + f
+
+         @test f - d1 - d2 == -((d1 + d2) - f)
+         @test f - BigInt(d1) - BigInt(d2) == -((BigInt(d1) + BigInt(d2)) - f)
+         @test f - g1 - g2 == -((g1 + g2) - f)
+
+         @test f + d1 - d1 == f
+         @test f + BigInt(d1) - BigInt(d1) == f
+         @test f + g1 - g1 == f
+
+         if !iszero(d1)
+            @test divexact(d1 * f, d1) == f
+            @test divexact(d1 * f, BigInt(d1)) == f
+         end
+      end
+   end
+
+   S, (x,y) = free_associative_algebra(QQ, [:x, :y])
+   f = x^2 + x*y^2*x + QQ(5)*y - QQ(1//2)*y*x
+   
+   @test 2 + f == QQ(2) + f
+   @test f + 2 == f + QQ(2)
+   @test 1//2 + f == QQ(1//2) + f
+   @test f + 1//2 == f + QQ(1//2)
+
+   @test 2 - f == QQ(2) - f
+   @test f - 2 == f - QQ(2)
+   @test 1//2 - f == QQ(1//2) - f
+   @test f - 1//2 == f - QQ(1//2)
+
+   @test 2 * f == QQ(2) * f
+   @test f * 2 == f * QQ(2)
+   @test 1//2 * f == QQ(1//2) * f
+   @test f * 1//2 == f * QQ(1//2)
+end
+
 @testset "Generic.FreeAssociativeAlgebra.NCRing_interface" begin
    S, = free_associative_algebra(ZZ, 3)
    test_NCRing_interface(S)