diff --git a/py/rest/rst.py b/py/rest/rst.py
index 585cf42ce..228402781 100644
--- a/py/rest/rst.py
+++ b/py/rest/rst.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import py
 
 def escape(txt):
     """escape ReST markup"""
+    if not isinstance(txt, str) and not isinstance(txt, unicode):
+        txt = str(txt)
     # XXX this takes a very naive approach to escaping, but it seems to be
     # sufficient...
     for c in '\\*`|:_':
@@ -231,6 +233,8 @@ class AbstractText(AbstractNode):
         return self.start + text + self.end
 
     def escape(self, text):
+        if not isinstance(text, str) and not isinstance(text, unicode):
+            text = str(text)
         if self.start:
             text = text.replace(self.start, '\\%s' % (self.start,))
         if self.end and self.end != self.start:
diff --git a/py/rest/testing/test_rst.py b/py/rest/testing/test_rst.py
index 696470369..0d680387b 100644
--- a/py/rest/testing/test_rst.py
+++ b/py/rest/testing/test_rst.py
@@ -429,16 +429,25 @@ def test_directive_content():
 
 def test_title_following_links_empty_line():
     expected = """\
-Foo, bar and `baz`_.
+Foo, bar and `baz`_
+
+Spam
+====
+
+Spam, eggs and spam.
 
 .. _`baz`: http://www.baz.com
 
-Spam
-----
-
-Spam, eggs and spam.
 """
     txt = Rest(Paragraph("Foo, bar and ", Link("baz", "http://www.baz.com")),
-               Title('Spam'), Paragraph('Spam, eggs and spam.'))
+               Title('Spam'), Paragraph('Spam, eggs and spam.')).text()
+    assert txt == expected
     checkrest(txt)
 
+def test_nonstring_text():
+    expected = """\
+/foo/bar.py
+"""
+    txt = Rest(Paragraph(Text(py.path.local('/foo/bar.py')))).text()
+    assert txt == expected
+