diff --git a/lib/tags/set.js b/lib/tags/set.js
index 7df3eb77..8099c571 100644
--- a/lib/tags/set.js
+++ b/lib/tags/set.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ module.exports = function (indent, parentBlock, parser) {
     }
 
     value = thisArgs[0];
-    if ((/^\'|^\"|^\{|^\[/).test(value) || value === 'true' || value === 'false') {
+    if (helpers.isLiteral(value) || (/^\{|^\[/).test(value) || value === 'true' || value === 'false') {
         return ' ' + varname + ' = ' + value + ';';
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/tags/set.test.js b/lib/tags/set.test.js
index caa4bd6c..1341e455 100644
--- a/lib/tags/set.test.js
+++ b/lib/tags/set.test.js
@@ -34,5 +34,11 @@ exports.set = testCase({
         swig.compile('{% block a %}{{ foo }}{% endblock %}', { filename: 'a' });
         test.strictEqual(swig.compile('{% extends "a" %}{% set foo = "bar" %}')(), 'bar');
         test.done();
+    },
+
+    'set number is really a number [gh-53]': function (test) {
+        test.strictEqual(swig.compile('{% set foo = 1 %}{{ foo|add(1) }}')(), '2', 'literal number is a number');
+        test.strictEqual(swig.compile('{% set foo = "1" %}{{ foo|add(1) }}')(), '11', 'string number is not a number');
+        test.done();
     }
 });