diff --git a/src/algorithm/monadic/mod.rs b/src/algorithm/monadic/mod.rs
index b0b6688c6..fd61dc07d 100644
--- a/src/algorithm/monadic/mod.rs
+++ b/src/algorithm/monadic/mod.rs
@@ -396,6 +396,18 @@ impl Value {
                 return Ok(num.into());
             }
 
+            if base == 10 {
+                // Happy path for base 10
+                if s.chars()
+                    .all(|c| c.is_ascii_digit() || c == '-' || c == '.')
+                {
+                    if let Ok(num) = s.parse::<f64>() {
+                        return Ok(num.into());
+                    }
+                }
+                // Fall through
+            }
+
             let sign = if let Some(pos) = s.strip_prefix("-") {
                 s = pos;
                 -1.0
diff --git a/tests/monadic.ua b/tests/monadic.ua
index 998e9cf70..a34d22df3 100644
--- a/tests/monadic.ua
+++ b/tests/monadic.ua
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
 ⍤⤙≍ [255 2748 16 ∞] ⬚∞⋕₁₆{"ff" "ABC" "10" "Z"}
 ⍤⤙≍ "Many hands make light work." ⇌°utf₈°⋯↯∞_8⋯≡⋕₆₄⇌ "TWFueSBoYW5kcyBtYWtlIGxpZ2h0IHdvcmsu"
 ⍤⤙≍ τ ⋕₆ "10.1411001432342522145"
+⍤⤙≍ ¯1 ⍣(⋕₁₀|¯1) "inf"
 ⍤⤙≍ "a3" °⋕₁₂ 123
 ⍤⤙≍ "ff00ff" ♭⬚@0°⋕₁₆ ×255 Magenta
 ⍤⤙≍ τ_(√10)_6 ⋕₃°⋕₃ τ_(√10)_6