diff --git a/gracedb/query.py b/gracedb/query.py
index 453980713908a393decbcf1a9dcc2abc3d147098..f2ea52762eab86e874acf7e3c62ae0cd98a91456 100644
--- a/gracedb/query.py
+++ b/gracedb/query.py
@@ -196,10 +196,11 @@ def buildDjangoQueryField(toks):
 
 exponent = Combine(Word("Ee") + Optional(Word("+-"))+Word(nums))
 
-afloat = Combine( Word(nums) + \
-         Optional(Combine(Literal(".") + Word(nums))) ) + \
-         Optional(exponent)
-afloat.setParseAction(lambda toks: float(toks[0]))
+afloat = Combine(
+           Word(nums) +
+           Optional(Combine(Literal(".") + Word(nums)))
+         ) + Optional(exponent)
+afloat.setParseAction(lambda toks: float("".join(toks)))
 
 lhs = delimitedList(Word(alphas+'_'), '.')
 lhs.setParseAction(buildDjangoQueryField)