diff --git a/lisp/ob-core.el b/lisp/ob-core.el
index e3abe97..01c4da8 100644
--- a/lisp/ob-core.el
+++ b/lisp/ob-core.el
@@ -2813,34 +2813,37 @@ block but are passed literally to the \"example-block\"."
       (error "Unterminated string in `org-babel-script-escape'"))
     (apply #'string (reverse out))))
 
-(defun org-babel-script-escape (str &optional force)
-  "Safely convert tables into elisp lists."
-  (unless (stringp str)
-    (error "`org-babel-script-escape' expects a string"))
-  (let ((escaped
-	 (cond
-	  ((and (> (length str) 2)
-		(or (and (string-equal "[" (substring str 0 1))
-			 (string-equal "]" (substring str -1)))
-		    (and (string-equal "{" (substring str 0 1))
-			 (string-equal "}" (substring str -1)))
-		    (and (string-equal "(" (substring str 0 1))
-			 (string-equal ")" (substring str -1)))))
-
-	   (concat "'" (org-babel--script-escape-inner str)))
-	  ((or force
-	       (and (> (length str) 2)
-		    (or (and (string-equal "'" (substring str 0 1))
-			     (string-equal "'" (substring str -1)))
-			;; We need to pass double-quoted strings
-			;; through the backslash-twiddling bits, even
-			;; though we don't need to change their
-			;; delimiters.
-			(and (string-equal "\"" (substring str 0 1))
-			     (string-equal "\"" (substring str -1))))))
-	   (org-babel--script-escape-inner str))
-	  (t str))))
-    (condition-case nil (org-babel-read escaped) (error escaped))))
+(defun org-babel-script-escape (val &optional force)
+  "Safely convert passed in values (including collections of
+them; tables) into elisp lists."
+  (if (numberp val)
+      val
+    (unless (stringp val)
+      (error "`org-babel-script-escape' expects a string or number"))
+    (let ((escaped
+	   (cond
+	    ((and (> (length val) 2)
+		  (or (and (string-equal "[" (substring val 0 1))
+			   (string-equal "]" (substring val -1)))
+		      (and (string-equal "{" (substring val 0 1))
+			   (string-equal "}" (substring val -1)))
+		      (and (string-equal "(" (substring val 0 1))
+			   (string-equal ")" (substring val -1)))))
+
+	     (concat "'" (org-babel--script-escape-inner val)))
+	    ((or force
+		 (and (> (length val) 2)
+		      (or (and (string-equal "'" (substring val 0 1))
+			       (string-equal "'" (substring val -1)))
+			  ;; We need to pass double-quoted strings
+			  ;; through the backslash-twiddling bits, even
+			  ;; though we don't need to change their
+			  ;; delimiters.
+			  (and (string-equal "\"" (substring val 0 1))
+			       (string-equal "\"" (substring val -1))))))
+	     (org-babel--script-escape-inner val))
+	    (t val))))
+      (condition-case nil (org-babel-read escaped) (error escaped)))))
 
 (defun org-babel-read (cell &optional inhibit-lisp-eval)
   "Convert the string value of CELL to a number if appropriate.