diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 90042eec5..72295a246 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -72,4 +72,4 @@ release_tarball: build check
 	./create-release-tarball
 
 # Go does its own dependency management, outside of make.
-.PHONY: build check unit_test regression_test fmt dev
+.PHONY: build mlr check unit_test regression_test fmt dev
diff --git a/internal/pkg/types/mlrval_infer.go b/internal/pkg/types/mlrval_infer.go
index cdbbd6f42..171a6bf06 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/types/mlrval_infer.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/types/mlrval_infer.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package types
 
 import (
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/johnkerl/miller/internal/pkg/lib"
@@ -157,23 +158,18 @@ func inferNormally(input string, inferBool bool) *Mlrval {
 	return MlrvalFromString(input)
 }
 
+var octalDetector = regexp.MustCompile("^-?0[0-9]+")
+
 func inferWithOctalSuppress(input string, inferBool bool) *Mlrval {
 	output := inferNormally(input, inferBool)
 	if output.mvtype != MT_INT && output.mvtype != MT_FLOAT {
 		return output
 	}
 
-	if input[0] == '0' && len(input) > 1 {
-		c := input[1]
-		if c != 'x' && c != 'X' && c != 'b' && c != 'B' {
-			return MlrvalFromString(input)
-		}
-	}
-	if strings.HasPrefix(input, "-0") && len(input) > 2 {
-		c := input[2]
-		if c != 'x' && c != 'X' && c != 'b' && c != 'B' {
-			return MlrvalFromString(input)
-		}
+	if octalDetector.MatchString(input) {
+		return MlrvalFromString(input)
+	} else {
+		return output
 	}
 
 	return output
diff --git a/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-A/expout b/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-A/expout
index 64ff495d3..2583ff522 100644
--- a/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-A/expout
+++ b/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-A/expout
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ x       t     y       z
 0123    float 84      83.5
 07      float 8       7.5
 08      float 9       8.5
+0       float 1       0.5
+0.      float 1       0.5
+0.0     float 1       0.5
+0.01    float 1.01    0.51
 0b0100  float 5       4.5
 0x1000  float 4097    4096.5
 -123    float -122    -122.5
@@ -13,3 +17,7 @@ x       t     y       z
 -0x1000 float -4095   -4095.5
 -07     float -6      -6.5
 -08     float -7      -7.5
+-0      float 1       0.5
+-0.     float 1       0.5
+-0.0    float 1       0.5
+-0.01   float 0.99    0.49
diff --git a/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-O/expout b/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-O/expout
index 24a22ab37..4d6ca25d6 100644
--- a/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-O/expout
+++ b/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-O/expout
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ x       t      y       z
 0123    string (error) (error)
 07      string (error) (error)
 08      string (error) (error)
+0       int    1       0.5
+0.      float  1       0.5
+0.0     float  1       0.5
+0.01    float  1.01    0.51
 0b0100  int    5       4.5
 0x1000  int    4097    4096.5
 -123    int    -122    -122.5
@@ -13,3 +17,7 @@ x       t      y       z
 -0x1000 int    -4095   -4095.5
 -07     string (error) (error)
 -08     string (error) (error)
+-0      int    1       0.5
+-0.     float  1       0.5
+-0.0    float  1       0.5
+-0.01   float  0.99    0.49
diff --git a/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-S/expout b/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-S/expout
index fc2875e90..9fb9759c9 100644
--- a/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-S/expout
+++ b/test/cases/io-infer-flags/dash-S/expout
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ x       t      y       z
 0123    string (error) (error)
 07      string (error) (error)
 08      string (error) (error)
+0       string (error) (error)
+0.      string (error) (error)
+0.0     string (error) (error)
+0.01    string (error) (error)
 0b0100  string (error) (error)
 0x1000  string (error) (error)
 -123    string (error) (error)
@@ -13,3 +17,7 @@ x       t      y       z
 -0x1000 string (error) (error)
 -07     string (error) (error)
 -08     string (error) (error)
+-0      string (error) (error)
+-0.     string (error) (error)
+-0.0    string (error) (error)
+-0.01   string (error) (error)
diff --git a/test/cases/io-infer-flags/default/expout b/test/cases/io-infer-flags/default/expout
index 94b125761..2ecaa2dab 100644
--- a/test/cases/io-infer-flags/default/expout
+++ b/test/cases/io-infer-flags/default/expout
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ x       t     y       z
 0123    int   84      83.5
 07      int   8       7.5
 08      float 9       8.5
+0       int   1       0.5
+0.      float 1       0.5
+0.0     float 1       0.5
+0.01    float 1.01    0.51
 0b0100  int   5       4.5
 0x1000  int   4097    4096.5
 -123    int   -122    -122.5
@@ -13,3 +17,7 @@ x       t     y       z
 -0x1000 int   -4095   -4095.5
 -07     int   -6      -6.5
 -08     float -7      -7.5
+-0      int   1       0.5
+-0.     float 1       0.5
+-0.0    float 1       0.5
+-0.01   float 0.99    0.49
diff --git a/test/input/infer.csv b/test/input/infer.csv
index f1058dda8..fa311ec46 100644
--- a/test/input/infer.csv
+++ b/test/input/infer.csv
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ x
 0123
 07
 08
+0
+0.
+0.0
+0.01
 0b0100
 0x1000
 -123
@@ -13,3 +17,7 @@ x
 -0x1000
 -07
 -08
+-0
+-0.
+-0.0
+-0.01