diff --git a/scheme/base.sld b/scheme/base.sld
index cbdbe8e7..adcb3755 100644
--- a/scheme/base.sld
+++ b/scheme/base.sld
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 (define-library (scheme base)
   ;; In the future, may include this here: (include "../srfi/9.scm")
   (export
+    string->number2 ;; TODO: should replace string->number primitive
     cons-source
     syntax-rules
     letrec*
@@ -1051,6 +1052,31 @@
         data, 
         k, 
        ((p->mode == 0 && p->fp != NULL) ? boolean_t : boolean_f)); ")
+  (define-c Cyc-string->number
+    "(void *data, int argc, closure _, object k, object str, object base)"
+    " make_int(result, 0);
+      Cyc_check_str(data, str);
+      Cyc_check_int(data, base);
+      
+      if (integer_value(base) == 2) {
+        result.value = binstr2int(string_str(str));
+      }else if (integer_value(base) == 8) {
+        result.value = octstr2int(string_str(str));
+      }else {
+        result.value = hexstr2int(string_str(str));
+      }
+      return_closcall1(data, k, &result); ")
+  ;; TODO: this should become the real string->number
+  (define (string->number2 str . base)
+    (if (or (null? base) (not (integer? (car base))))
+        (string->number str)
+        (let ((b (car base)))
+          (cond
+            ((or (= b 2) (= b 8) (= b 16))
+             (Cyc-string->number str b))
+            (else
+              (string->number str))))))
+
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;; syntax-rules
 (define identifier? symbol?)
diff --git a/scheme/read.sld b/scheme/read.sld
index aa399f10..c993bfb8 100644
--- a/scheme/read.sld
+++ b/scheme/read.sld
@@ -325,13 +325,13 @@
                         (parse-atom num)))))
               ((eq? #\b next-c)
                (parse-number fp toks all? parens ptbl 
-                 2 (lambda (num) (list->string num))))
+                 2 (lambda (num) (string->number2 (list->string num) 2))))
               ((eq? #\o next-c)
                (parse-number fp toks all? parens ptbl 
-                 8 (lambda (num) (list->string num))))
+                 8 (lambda (num) (string->number2 (list->string num) 8))))
               ((eq? #\x next-c)
                (parse-number fp toks all? parens ptbl 
-                 16 (lambda (num) (list->string num))))
+                 16 (lambda (num) (string->number2 (list->string num) 16))))
               ;; Vector
               ((eq? #\( next-c)
                (let ((sub (parse fp '() '() #t #f (+ parens 1) ptbl))