diff --git a/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luacompat/LuaCompat.java b/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luacompat/LuaCompat.java
index 3c956e59..06863509 100644
--- a/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luacompat/LuaCompat.java
+++ b/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luacompat/LuaCompat.java
@@ -109,19 +109,7 @@ public class LuaCompat extends LFunction {
 				if ( first+1 < top ) {
 					base = stack[first+1].luaAsInt();
 				}
-				if ( base >= 2 && base <= 36 ) {
-					String str = input.luaAsString().trim();
-					try {
-						result = new LInteger( Integer.parseInt( str, base ) );
-					} catch ( NumberFormatException nfe ) {
-						if ( base == 10 ) {
-							try {
-								result = new LDouble( Double.parseDouble( str ) );
-							} catch ( NumberFormatException nfe2 ) {
-							}
-						}
-					}
-				}
+				return ( (LString) input ).luaToNumber( base );
 			}
 		}
 		return result;
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
index 675258f8..1de543b3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
@@ -46,6 +46,44 @@ public class LString extends LValue {
 		return false;
 	}
 	
+	public LValue luaBinOpDouble( int opcode, double m_value ) {
+		return luaToNumber().luaBinOpDouble( opcode, m_value );
+	}
+	
+	public LValue luaBinOpInteger( int opcode, int m_value ) {
+		return luaToNumber().luaBinOpInteger( opcode, m_value );
+	}
+	
+	public LValue luaBinOpUnknown( int opcode, LValue lhs ) {
+		return luaToNumber().luaBinOpUnknown( opcode, lhs );
+	}
+	
+	public LValue luaUnaryMinus() {
+		return luaToNumber().luaUnaryMinus();
+	}
+	
+	public LValue luaToNumber() {
+		return luaToNumber( 10 );
+	}
+	
+	public LValue luaToNumber( int base ) {
+		if ( base >= 2 && base <= 36 ) {
+			String str = m_string.trim();
+			try {
+				return new LInteger( Integer.parseInt( str, base ) );
+			} catch ( NumberFormatException nfe ) {
+				if ( base == 10 ) {
+					try {
+						return new LDouble( Double.parseDouble( str ) );
+					} catch ( NumberFormatException nfe2 ) {
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		
+		return LNil.NIL;
+	}
+	
 	public String luaAsString() {
 		return m_string;
 	}
diff --git a/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java b/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java
index fd566be2..21bd4b19 100644
--- a/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ public class LuaJTest extends TestCase {
 		runTest( "boolean" );
 	}
 	
+	public void testCoercions() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+		runTest( "coercions" );
+	}
+	
 	public void testCompare() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
 		runTest( "compare" );
 	}
diff --git a/src/test/res/coercions.lua b/src/test/res/coercions.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9db03f32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/res/coercions.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+print("5.0"+3.1)
+print(4+"7.5")
+print(3.14*"  2.75")
+print("-33"/"11")
+print(-"-5")
diff --git a/src/test/res/coercions.luac b/src/test/res/coercions.luac
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f71918d4
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/test/res/coercions.luac differ