diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/pathops.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/pathops.rs
index a8306d25c..82de6fa93 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/pathops.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/pathops.rs
@@ -221,25 +221,41 @@ pub(crate) fn len_param(p: &Value, key: &str) -> Option<f64> {
     }
 }
 
-/// The number `p` gives `cmd` for `key`, as [`num_param`] reads it, or `None` when `p` leaves it out
-/// or gives null. Any other value, such as `true` or `"wide"`, is an error: "`{key}` must be a
-/// number, not {v}".
+/// The number `p` gives `cmd` for `key`, or `None` when `p` leaves it out or gives null. A string
+/// counts only when all of it is a number (`"20"`). Any other value, such as `true`, `"wide"` or
+/// `"20abc"`, is an error: "`{key}` must be a number, not {v}".
 pub(crate) fn number_given(p: &Value, key: &str, cmd: &str) -> Result<Option<f64>> {
     match p.get(key) {
         None | Some(Value::Null) => Ok(None),
-        Some(v) => num_param(p, key).map(Some).ok_or_else(|| bad(cmd, format!("`{key}` must be a number, not {v}"))),
+        Some(v) => match v {
+            Value::String(s) => whole_number(s),
+            _ => num_param(p, key),
+        }
+        .map(Some)
+        .ok_or_else(|| bad(cmd, format!("`{key}` must be a number, not {v}"))),
     }
 }
 
-/// The distance `p` gives `cmd` for `key`, as [`len_param`] reads it (`"5 mm"` included), or `None`
-/// when `p` leaves it out or gives null. Any other value is an error, as [`number_given`] gives it.
+/// The distance `p` gives `cmd` for `key`, or `None` when `p` leaves it out or gives null. A string
+/// counts only when all of it is a length that [`vectorcraft_doc::Unit::parse`] reads (`"5 mm"`) or a
+/// number. Any other value, such as `"20abc"`, is an error, as [`number_given`] gives it.
 pub(crate) fn length_given(p: &Value, key: &str, cmd: &str) -> Result<Option<f64>> {
     match p.get(key) {
         None | Some(Value::Null) => Ok(None),
-        Some(v) => len_param(p, key).map(Some).ok_or_else(|| bad(cmd, format!("`{key}` must be a number, not {v}"))),
+        Some(v) => match v {
+            Value::String(s) => vectorcraft_doc::Unit::Points.parse(s).filter(|v| v.is_finite()).or_else(|| whole_number(s)),
+            _ => num_param(p, key),
+        }
+        .map(Some)
+        .ok_or_else(|| bad(cmd, format!("`{key}` must be a number, not {v}"))),
     }
 }
 
+/// `s` as a finite number when all of it, spaces around it aside, is one.
+fn whole_number(s: &str) -> Option<f64> {
+    s.trim().parse::<f64>().ok().filter(|v| v.is_finite())
+}
+
 fn ids_json(ids: &[NodeId]) -> Value {
     json!({ "ids": ids.iter().map(|i| i.0).collect::<Vec<_>>() })
 }
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/typecmd.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/typecmd.rs
index 42b35d33d..0ddd14594 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/typecmd.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/typecmd.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use vectorcraft_doc::{AreaFit, Document, Justify, Node, NodeId, NodeKind, RubyAl
 use vectorcraft_geom::{Affine, PathData, Vec2};
 
 use super::edit::selected_roots;
-use super::pathops::{len_param, num_param, shape_node};
+use super::pathops::{len_param, length_given, number_given, shape_node};
 use super::{
     CommandSpec, EngineError, Result, Session, bad, check_numbers, cmd, color_value, f64_req, has_doc, has_selection, id_param, index, number_or, ok,
     str_param, switch_or, targets, text_param,
@@ -810,25 +810,6 @@ pub(crate) fn justify_param(v: &str) -> Option<Justify> {
     })
 }
 
-/// The number `p` gives `cmd` for `key`, as [`num_param`] reads it (`"20"` included), or `None` when
-/// `p` leaves it out or gives null. Any other value, such as `true` or `"wide"`, is an error:
-/// "`{key}` must be a number, not {v}".
-fn number_given(p: &Value, key: &str, cmd: &str) -> Result<Option<f64>> {
-    match p.get(key) {
-        None | Some(Value::Null) => Ok(None),
-        Some(v) => num_param(p, key).map(Some).ok_or_else(|| bad(cmd, format!("`{key}` must be a number, not {v}"))),
-    }
-}
-
-/// The distance `p` gives `cmd` for `key`, as [`len_param`] reads it (`"5 mm"` included), or `None`
-/// when `p` leaves it out or gives null. Any other value is an error, as [`number_given`] gives it.
-fn length_given(p: &Value, key: &str, cmd: &str) -> Result<Option<f64>> {
-    match p.get(key) {
-        None | Some(Value::Null) => Ok(None),
-        Some(v) => len_param(p, key).map(Some).ok_or_else(|| bad(cmd, format!("`{key}` must be a number, not {v}"))),
-    }
-}
-
 fn set_style(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     const C: &str = "text.setStyle";
     let font = text_param(p, "font", C)?.map(str::to_string);
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests/pathops.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests/pathops.rs
index 57094355c..72aa559ae 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests/pathops.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests/pathops.rs
@@ -863,6 +863,8 @@ fn path_commands_refuse_a_param_of_the_wrong_type() {
     for (cmd, p, want) in [
         ("object.path.offsetPath", json!({"offset": true}), number("offset", "true")),
         ("object.path.offsetPath", json!({"offset": "wide"}), number("offset", "\"wide\"")),
+        ("object.path.offsetPath", json!({"offset": "10abc"}), number("offset", "\"10abc\"")),
+        ("object.path.offsetPath", json!({"offset": 5, "miterLimit": "4x"}), number("miterLimit", "\"4x\"")),
         ("object.path.offsetPath", json!({"offset": 5, "joins": 3}), "`joins` must be a string".to_string()),
         ("object.path.offsetPath", json!({"offset": 5, "joins": "pointy"}), "`joins` must be one of miter, round, bevel".to_string()),
         ("object.path.offsetPath", json!({"offset": 5, "miterLimit": [4]}), number("miterLimit", "[4]")),
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests/textedit.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests/textedit.rs
index 425d545df..e584e3e32 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests/textedit.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests/textedit.rs
@@ -505,6 +505,8 @@ fn character_ruby_and_path_handle_refuse_a_param_of_the_wrong_type() {
         [
             ("text.setStyle", json!({"size": true}), "size"),
             ("text.setStyle", json!({"size": "big"}), "size"),
+            ("text.setStyle", json!({"size": "20abc"}), "size"),
+            ("text.setStyle", json!({"tracking": "20abc"}), "tracking"),
             ("text.setStyle", json!({"font": "Inter", "size": [12]}), "size"),
             ("text.setStyle", json!({"tracking": "wide"}), "tracking"),
             ("text.setStyle", json!({"size": 30, "tracking": false}), "tracking"),