diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 9f3854af..eb1c053d 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+   - name=123 is passed as an integer (not a string) to plugins now (messju)
    - $length is now propagated to sub-values in debug_print_var (messju) 
 
 Version 2.5.0-RC2 (March 26, 2003)
diff --git a/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php b/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
index b561f18e..f8c5c9ea 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
@@ -1354,6 +1354,8 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
                             $token = 'false';
 						} else if ($token == 'null') {
                             $token = 'null';
+						} else if (preg_match('!^-?[0-9]+$!', $token)) {
+                            /* treat integer literally */
 						} else if (!preg_match('!^' . $this->_obj_call_regexp . '|' . $this->_var_regexp . '(?:' . $this->_mod_regexp . ')*$!', $token)) {
                         	/* treat as a string, double-quote it escaping quotes */
                             $token = '"'.addslashes($token).'"';