diff --git a/cgen.scm b/cgen.scm
index 16837e1e..fdde1054 100644
--- a/cgen.scm
+++ b/cgen.scm
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@
     ((eq? p 'open-input-file) "port_type")
     ((eq? p 'length) "integer_type")
     ((eq? p 'char->integer) "integer_type")
-    ((eq? p 'string->number) "integer_type")
+    ((eq? p 'string->number) "common_type")
     ((eq? p 'list->string) "string_type")
 ;    ((eq? p 'string->list) "object")
     ((eq? p 'string-append) "string_type")
diff --git a/cyclone.h b/cyclone.h
index 1a764db2..597b3ef0 100644
--- a/cyclone.h
+++ b/cyclone.h
@@ -268,5 +268,14 @@ void dispatch(int argc, function_type func, object clo, object cont, object args
 void dispatch_va(int argc, function_type_va func, object clo, object cont, object args);
 void do_dispatch(int argc, function_type func, object clo, object *buffer);
 
+/* All constant-size objects */
+typedef union {
+  cons_type cons_t;
+  symbol_type symbol_t;
+  primitive_type primitive_t;
+  integer_type integer_t;
+  double_type double_t;
+  string_type string_t;
+} common_type;
 
 #endif /* CYCLONE_H */
diff --git a/runtime.h b/runtime.h
index dbee4f82..f5c1f0b3 100644
--- a/runtime.h
+++ b/runtime.h
@@ -660,14 +660,16 @@ static void __string2list(const char *str, cons_type *buf, int buflen){
     }
 }
 
-static integer_type Cyc_string2number(object str){
+static common_type Cyc_string2number(object str){
+    common_type result;
     make_int(n, 0);
     if (type_of(str) == string_tag &&
         ((string_type *) str)->str){
         // TODO: not good enough long-term since it doesn't parse floats
         n.value = atoi(((string_type *) str)->str);
     }
-    return n;
+    result.integer_t = n;
+    return result;
 }
 
 static void dispatch_string_91append(int argc, object clo, object cont, object str1, ...) {
@@ -975,7 +977,7 @@ static void _char_91_125integer(object cont, object args) {
 static void _integer_91_125char(object cont, object args) {  
     return_funcall1(cont, Cyc_integer2char(car(args)));}
 static void _string_91_125number(object cont, object args) {  
-    integer_type i = Cyc_string2number(car(args));
+    common_type i = Cyc_string2number(car(args));
     return_funcall1(cont, &i);}
 //static void _error(object cont, object args) {
 //    integer_type argc = Cyc_length(args);
@@ -1122,16 +1124,6 @@ defprimitive(write, write, &_write); /* write */
 defprimitive(display, display, &_display); /* display */
 /* -------------------------------------------- */
 
-/* All constant-size objects */
-typedef union {
-  cons_type cons_t;
-  symbol_type symbol_t;
-  primitive_type primitive_t;
-  integer_type integer_t;
-  double_type double_t;
-  string_type string_t;
-} common_type;
-
 /*
  *
  * @param cont - Continuation for the function to call into