--- a/core/src/luan/modules/BasicLuan.java	Mon May 04 15:43:36 2015 -0600
+++ b/core/src/luan/modules/BasicLuan.java	Mon May 04 16:21:17 2015 -0600
@@ -103,8 +103,19 @@
 		throw luan.exception( "bad argument #1 to 'raw_len' (table or string expected)" );
 	}
 
-	public static Number to_number(Object e,Integer base) {
-		return Luan.toNumber(e,base);
+	public static Number to_number(Object v,Integer base) {
+		try {
+			if( base == null ) {
+				if( v instanceof Number )
+					return (Number)v;
+				if( v instanceof String )
+					return Double.valueOf((String)v);
+			} else {
+				if( v instanceof String )
+					return Long.valueOf((String)v,base);
+			}
+		} catch(NumberFormatException e) {}
+		return null;
 	}
 
 	public static String to_string(LuanState luan,Object v) throws LuanException {