diff --git a/src/translate/fact_groups.py b/src/translate/fact_groups.py
index daec4a587..884704722 100644
--- a/src/translate/fact_groups.py
+++ b/src/translate/fact_groups.py
@@ -68,7 +68,11 @@ def _update_top(self):
                 self.groups_by_size[len(candidate)].append(candidate)
             self.max_size -= 1
 
-def choose_groups(groups, reachable_facts):
+def choose_groups(groups, reachable_facts, negative_in_goal):
+    if negative_in_goal:
+        # we remove atoms that occur negatively in the goal from the groups to
+        # enforce them to be encoded with a binary variable.
+        groups = [set(group) - negative_in_goal for group in groups]
     queue = GroupCoverQueue(groups)
     uncovered_facts = reachable_facts.copy()
     result = []
@@ -107,7 +111,8 @@ def sort_groups(groups):
     return sorted(sorted(group) for group in groups)
 
 def compute_groups(task: pddl.Task, atoms: Set[pddl.Literal],
-    reachable_action_params: Dict[pddl.Action, List[str]]) -> Tuple[
+    reachable_action_params: Dict[pddl.Action, List[str]],
+    negative_in_goal: Set[pddl.Atom]) -> Tuple[
         List[List[pddl.Atom]], # groups
         # -> all selected mutex groups plus singleton groups for uncovered facts
         List[List[pddl.Atom]], # mutex_groups
@@ -128,7 +133,7 @@ def compute_groups(task: pddl.Task, atoms: Set[pddl.Literal],
     with timers.timing("Collecting mutex groups"):
         mutex_groups = collect_all_mutex_groups(groups, atoms)
     with timers.timing("Choosing groups", block=True):
-        groups = choose_groups(groups, atoms)
+        groups = choose_groups(groups, atoms, negative_in_goal)
     groups = sort_groups(groups)
     with timers.timing("Building translation key"):
         translation_key = build_translation_key(groups)
diff --git a/src/translate/translate.py b/src/translate/translate.py
index d2652f0fe..e060e8a59 100755
--- a/src/translate/translate.py
+++ b/src/translate/translate.py
@@ -555,12 +555,15 @@ def pddl_to_sas(task):
     elif goal_list is None:
         return unsolvable_sas_task("Trivially false goal")
 
+    negative_in_goal = set()
     for item in goal_list:
         assert isinstance(item, pddl.Literal)
+        if item.negated:
+            negative_in_goal.add(item.negate())
 
     with timers.timing("Computing fact groups", block=True):
         groups, mutex_groups, translation_key = fact_groups.compute_groups(
-            task, atoms, reachable_action_params)
+            task, atoms, reachable_action_params, negative_in_goal)
 
     with timers.timing("Building STRIPS to SAS dictionary"):
         ranges, strips_to_sas = strips_to_sas_dictionary(