diff --git a/lib/puppet/parser/functions/range.rb b/lib/puppet/parser/functions/range.rb
index c14f6e696..2fc211329 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/parser/functions/range.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/parser/functions/range.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ module Puppet::Parser::Functions
 
       type = '..' # Use the simplest type of Range available in Ruby
 
-    else # arguments.size == 0
+    else # arguments.size == 1
       value = arguments[0]
 
       if m = value.match(/^(\w+)(\.\.\.?|\-)(\w+)$/)
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ module Puppet::Parser::Functions
         stop  = m[3]
 
         type = m[2]
-
+        step = 1
       elsif value.match(/^.+$/)
         raise(Puppet::ParseError, "range(): Unable to compute range " +
           "from the value: #{value}")
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ module Puppet::Parser::Functions
       when '...'         then (start ... stop) # Exclusive of last element
     end
 
-    result = range.step(step).collect { |i| i }
+    result = range.step(step).to_a
 
     return result
   end
diff --git a/spec/functions/range_spec.rb b/spec/functions/range_spec.rb
index ef86f9719..f18b89e1a 100755
--- a/spec/functions/range_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/functions/range_spec.rb
@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'with a ruby-like range' do
+    it "returns a number range" do
+      result = scope.function_range(["1..4"])
+      expect(result).to eq [1,2,3,4]
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'with a numeric range' do
     it "returns a range of numbers" do
       expected = (1..10).to_a