diff --git a/core/script/builtin.js b/core/script/builtin.js
index 9a116c4bf..6686873fd 100644
--- a/core/script/builtin.js
+++ b/core/script/builtin.js
@@ -136,6 +136,16 @@ function AFNumber_Keystroke(nDec, sepStyle, negStyle, currStyle, strCurrency, bC
     return;
 }
 
+function AFMakeNumber(string)
+{
+    var type = typeof string;
+    if ( type == "number" )
+        return string;
+    if ( type != "string" )
+        return 0;
+    return util.stringToNumber( string );
+}
+
 /** AFTime_Format
  *
  * Formats event.value based on parameters.
diff --git a/core/script/kjs_util.cpp b/core/script/kjs_util.cpp
index 9d5e46ed6..1e1382fd1 100644
--- a/core/script/kjs_util.cpp
+++ b/core/script/kjs_util.cpp
@@ -158,9 +158,10 @@ static KJSObject numberToString ( KJSContext *context, void *,
     return KJSString( locale.toString( number, format.toLatin1(), precision ) );
 }
 
-/** Converts a String to a Number using l10n.
+/** Converts a String to a Number trying with the current locale first and
+ * if that fails trying with the reverse locale for the decimal separator
  *
- * Number stringToNumber( String number, String LocaleName = system ) */
+ * Number stringToNumber( String number ) */
 static KJSObject stringToNumber ( KJSContext *context, void *,
                                   const KJSArguments &arguments )
 {
@@ -175,18 +176,18 @@ static KJSObject stringToNumber ( KJSContext *context, void *,
         return KJSNumber( 0 );
     }
 
-    QLocale locale;
-    if ( arguments.count() == 2 )
-    {
-        locale = QLocale( arguments.at( 1 ).toString( context ) );
-    }
-
+    const QLocale locale;
     bool ok;
-    const double converted = locale.toDouble( number, &ok );
+    double converted = locale.toDouble( number, &ok );
 
     if ( !ok )
     {
-        return KJSNumber( std::nan( "" ) );
+        const QLocale locale2( locale.decimalPoint() == QLatin1Char('.') ? QStringLiteral("de") : QStringLiteral("en") );
+        converted = locale2.toDouble( number, &ok );
+        if ( !ok )
+        {
+            return KJSNumber( std::nan( "" ) );
+        }
     }
 
     return KJSNumber( converted );