diff --git a/platformio/builder/tools/piomisc.py b/platformio/builder/tools/piomisc.py
index 765cc3b9..f12a0ddd 100644
--- a/platformio/builder/tools/piomisc.py
+++ b/platformio/builder/tools/piomisc.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from os.path import basename, isdir, isfile, join, relpath
 from tempfile import mkstemp
 
 from SCons.Action import Action
+from SCons.Defaults import processDefines
 from SCons.Script import ARGUMENTS
 
 from platformio import util
@@ -227,10 +228,8 @@ def DumpIDEData(env):
     def get_defines(env_):
         defines = []
         # global symbols
-        for item in env_.get("CPPDEFINES", []):
-            if isinstance(item, list) or isinstance(item, tuple):
-                item = "=".join(item)
-            defines.append(env_.subst(item).replace('\\"', '"'))
+        for item in processDefines(env_.get("CPPDEFINES", [])):
+            defines.append(env_.subst(item).replace('\\', ''))
 
         # special symbol for Atmel AVR MCU
         if env['PIOPLATFORM'] == "atmelavr":
@@ -256,9 +255,7 @@ def DumpIDEData(env):
 
     # https://github.com/platformio/platformio-atom-ide/issues/34
     _new_defines = []
-    for item in env_.get("CPPDEFINES", []):
-        if isinstance(item, list) or isinstance(item, tuple):
-            item = "=".join(item)
+    for item in processDefines(env_.get("CPPDEFINES", [])):
         item = item.replace('\\"', '"')
         if " " in item:
             _new_defines.append(item.replace(" ", "\\\\ "))
diff --git a/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py b/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py
index 803b7f11..0a1d7e49 100644
--- a/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py
+++ b/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from os.path import basename, dirname, isdir, join, realpath
 from SCons.Action import Action
 from SCons.Script import (COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS, AlwaysBuild,
                           DefaultEnvironment, SConscript)
-from SCons.Util import case_sensitive_suffixes
+from SCons.Util import case_sensitive_suffixes, is_Sequence
 
 from platformio.util import pioversion_to_intstr
 
@@ -111,12 +111,17 @@ def ProcessFlags(env, flags):
         flags = " ".join(flags)
     parsed_flags = env.ParseFlags(str(flags))
     for flag in parsed_flags.pop("CPPDEFINES"):
-        if not isinstance(flag, list):
+        if not is_Sequence(flag):
             env.Append(CPPDEFINES=flag)
             continue
-        if '\"' in flag[1]:
-            flag[1] = flag[1].replace('\"', '\\\"')
-        env.Append(CPPDEFINES=[flag])
+        _key, _value = flag[:2]
+        if '\"' in _value:
+            _value = _value.replace('\"', '\\\"')
+        elif _value.isdigit():
+            _value = int(_value)
+        elif _value.replace(".", "", 1).isdigit():
+            _value = float(_value)
+        env.Append(CPPDEFINES=(_key, _value))
     env.Append(**parsed_flags)
 
     # fix relative CPPPATH & LIBPATH