diff --git a/packages/driver/src/cy/chai.coffee b/packages/driver/src/cy/chai.coffee
index a9f0cb7e7c8..bec79889a79 100644
--- a/packages/driver/src/cy/chai.coffee
+++ b/packages/driver/src/cy/chai.coffee
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ allPropertyWordsBetweenSingleQuotes = /('.*?')$/g
 allButLastWordsBetweenSingleQuotes = /('.*?')(.+)/g
 
 allBetweenFourStars = /\*\*.*\*\*/
+allNumberStrings = /'([0-9]+)'/g
 allSingleQuotes = /'/g
 allEscapedSingleQuotes = /\\'/g
 allQuoteMarkers = /__quote__/g
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ chai.use (chai, u) ->
     ## and if an empty string, put the quotes back
     message.replace allBetweenFourStars, (match) ->
       match
+        .replace(allNumberStrings, "__quote__$1__quote__")
         .replace(allEscapedSingleQuotes, "__quote__") # preserve escaped quotes
         .replace(allSingleQuotes, "")
         .replace(allQuoteMarkers, "'") ## put escaped quotes back
diff --git a/packages/driver/test/cypress/integration/commands/assertions_spec.coffee b/packages/driver/test/cypress/integration/commands/assertions_spec.coffee
index 6a0b3db5da0..c9a57bc1ece 100644
--- a/packages/driver/test/cypress/integration/commands/assertions_spec.coffee
+++ b/packages/driver/test/cypress/integration/commands/assertions_spec.coffee
@@ -742,6 +742,18 @@ describe "src/cy/commands/assertions", ->
       assert.isFalse(false, "is false")
       expect(@logs[0].get("message")).to.eq("is false: expected **false** to be false")
 
+  context "format", ->
+    it "format number strings", (done) -> 
+      cy.on "log:added", (attrs, log) ->
+        if attrs.name is "assert"
+          cy.removeAllListeners("log:added")
+
+          expect(log.get("message")).to.eq "expected **25** to equal **\'25\'**"
+          done()
+
+      cy.then ->
+        expect(25).to.eq('25')
+
   context "chai overrides", ->
     beforeEach ->
       @$body = cy.$$("body")