diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/ToString.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/ToString.java
index f7ff6ba3d..40affe591 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/ToString.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/ToString.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ import com.google.refine.grel.Function;
 public class ToString implements Function {
 
     @Override
-    public Object call(Properties bindings, Object[] args) {
+    public String call(Properties bindings, Object[] args) {
         if (args.length >= 1) {
             Object o1 = args[0];
             if (o1 != null) {
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class ToString implements Function {
                     }
                     return formatter.format(o1 instanceof Date ? ((Date) o1) : ((Calendar) o1).getTime());
                 } else {
-                    return (o1 instanceof String) ? o1 : o1.toString();
+                    return (o1 instanceof String) ? (String) o1 : o1.toString();
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Escape.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Escape.java
index 0d5e074d5..2f26cbb74 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Escape.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Escape.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import org.json.JSONException;
 import org.json.JSONWriter;
 
 import com.google.refine.expr.EvalError;
+import com.google.refine.expr.functions.ToString;
 import com.google.refine.grel.ControlFunctionRegistry;
 import com.google.refine.grel.Function;
 
@@ -52,8 +53,17 @@ public class Escape implements Function {
         if (args.length == 2) {
             Object o1 = args[0];
             Object o2 = args[1];
-            if (o1 != null && o2 != null && o1 instanceof String && o2 instanceof String) {
-                String s = (String) o1;
+            String s;
+            if (o1 instanceof String) {
+                s = (String) o1;
+            } else if (o1 == null) {
+                s = "";
+            } else {
+                // Use our own ToString so that formatting is consistent
+                ToString toString = new ToString();
+                s = toString.call(bindings,new Object[] {o1});
+            }
+            if (o2 instanceof String) {
                 String mode = ((String) o2).toLowerCase();
                 if ("html".equals(mode)) {
                     return StringEscapeUtils.escapeHtml(s);
diff --git a/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/expr/functions/strings/ToFromConversionTests.java b/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/expr/functions/strings/ToFromConversionTests.java
index 63d7a7556..11615ed39 100644
--- a/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/expr/functions/strings/ToFromConversionTests.java
+++ b/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/expr/functions/strings/ToFromConversionTests.java
@@ -138,4 +138,31 @@ public class ToFromConversionTests extends RefineTest {
         // Calendar
         // String
     }
+    
+    @Test
+    public void testEscape() {
+      Assert.assertNull(invoke("escape"));
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape",null,"xml"),"");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", "mystring", "html"),"mystring");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", "mystring", "xml"),"mystring");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", "mystring", "csv"),"mystring");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", "mystring", "url"),"mystring");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", "mystring", "javascript"),"mystring");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", 1, "html"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", 1, "xml"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", 1, "csv"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", 1, "url"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", 1, "javascript"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Long.parseLong("1"), "html"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Long.parseLong("1"), "xml"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Long.parseLong("1"), "csv"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Long.parseLong("1"), "url"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Long.parseLong("1"), "javascript"),"1");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Double.parseDouble("1.23"), "html"),"1.23");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Double.parseDouble("1.23"), "xml"),"1.23");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Double.parseDouble("1.23"), "csv"),"1.23");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Double.parseDouble("1.23"), "url"),"1.23");
+      Assert.assertEquals(invoke("escape", Double.parseDouble("1.23"), "javascript"),"1.23");
+   }
+
 }