diff --git a/hy/core/macros.hy b/hy/core/macros.hy
index 8b46743..c6071ba 100644
--- a/hy/core/macros.hy
+++ b/hy/core/macros.hy
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
     ~@body))
 
 (defmacro defmacro/g! [name args &rest body]
-  (let [[syms (list (distinct (filter (fn [x] (.startswith x "g!")) (flatten body))))]]
+  (let [[syms (list (distinct (filter (fn [x] (and (hasattr x "startswith") (.startswith x "g!"))) (flatten body))))]]
     `(defmacro ~name [~@args]
        (let ~(HyList (map (fn [x] `[~x (gensym (slice '~x 2))]) syms))
             ~@body))))
diff --git a/tests/native_tests/native_macros.hy b/tests/native_tests/native_macros.hy
index 571e824..848cd8f 100644
--- a/tests/native_tests/native_macros.hy
+++ b/tests/native_tests/native_macros.hy
@@ -188,7 +188,12 @@
   (setv s2 (to_source _ast2))
   (assert (in ":res_" s1))
   (assert (in ":res_" s2))
-  (assert (not (= s1 s2))))
+  (assert (not (= s1 s2)))
+
+  ;; defmacro/g! didn't like numbers initially because they
+  ;; don't have a startswith method and blew up during expansion
+  (setv macro2 "(defmacro/g! two-point-zero [] `(+ (float 1) 1.0))")
+  (assert (import_buffer_to_ast macro2 "foo")))
 
 
 (defn test-if-not []