diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/category.py b/lib/matplotlib/category.py
index d2754d32fd3a..a71d63239abe 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/category.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/category.py
@@ -40,23 +40,32 @@ def convert(value, unit, axis):
         """Uses axis.unit_data map to encode
         data as floats
         """
+<<<<<<< HEAD
+=======
         value = np.atleast_1d(value)
         # try and update from here....
         if hasattr(axis.unit_data, 'update'):
             for val in value:
                 if isinstance(val, six.string_types):
                     axis.unit_data.update(val)
+
+>>>>>>> temp-branch
+        if units.ConversionInterface.is_numlike(value):
+            return value
+
         vmap = dict(zip(axis.unit_data.seq, axis.unit_data.locs))
 
         if isinstance(value, six.string_types):
             return vmap[value]
 
-        vals = shim_array(value)
+        str_value = shim_array(value)
+
+        mapped_value = str_value.copy()
 
         for lab, loc in vmap.items():
-            vals[vals == lab] = loc
+            mapped_value[str_value == lab] = loc
 
-        return vals.astype('float')
+        return mapped_value.astype("float")
 
     @staticmethod
     def axisinfo(unit, axis):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_category.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_category.py
index 7156dc59933c..00aaf305823b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_category.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_category.py
@@ -71,8 +71,11 @@ class TestStrCategoryConverter(object):
                 (['A', 'A', np.nan, 'B', -np.inf, 3.14, np.inf],
                  [('nan', -1), ('3.14', 0), ('A', 1), ('B', 2),
                   ('-inf', 100), ('inf', 200)],
-                 [1, 1, -1, 2, 100, 0, 200])]
-    ids = ["unicode", "single", "basic", "mixed"]
+                 [1, 1, -1, 2, 100, 0, 200]),
+                (["!", "0"], [("!", 0), ("0", 1)], [0, 1]),
+                (0.0, [(0.0, 0.0)], 0.0)]
+
+    ids = ["unicode", "single", "basic", "mixed", "integer str", "number"]
 
     @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
     def mock_axis(self, request):