diff --git a/src/core/multisym.c b/src/core/multisym.c
index 35d25f47..b6133c44 100644
--- a/src/core/multisym.c
+++ b/src/core/multisym.c
@@ -30,7 +30,16 @@ static JanetSlot multisym_parse_part(JanetCompiler *c, const uint8_t *sympart, i
     if (sympart[0] == ':') {
         return janetc_cslot(janet_symbolv(sympart, len));
     } else {
-        return janetc_resolve(c, janet_symbol(sympart + 1, len - 1));
+        double index;
+        int err;
+        index = janet_scan_number(sympart + 1, len - 1, &err);
+        if (err) {
+            /* not a number */
+            return janetc_resolve(c, janet_symbol(sympart + 1, len - 1));
+        } else {
+            /* is a number */
+            return janetc_cslot(janet_wrap_number(index));
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/strtod.c b/src/core/strtod.c
index f3aa13bc..afa0c499 100644
--- a/src/core/strtod.c
+++ b/src/core/strtod.c
@@ -272,6 +272,11 @@ double janet_scan_number(
     if (str + 1 < end && str[0] == '0' && str[1] == 'x') {
         base = 16;
         str += 2;
+    } else if (str + 1 < end  &&
+            str[0] >= '0' && str[0] <= '9' &&
+            str[1] == 'r') {
+        base = str[0] - '0';
+        str += 2;
     } else if (str + 2 < end  &&
             str[0] >= '0' && str[0] <= '9' &&
             str[1] >= '0' && str[1] <= '9' &&