diff --git a/contrib/lisp/org-collector.el b/contrib/lisp/org-collector.el
index 2646b3f..e358caf 100644
--- a/contrib/lisp/org-collector.el
+++ b/contrib/lisp/org-collector.el
@@ -110,21 +110,30 @@ a column, or through the generation of an error.")
      '(error column-prop-error org-collector-error))
 
 (defun org-read-prop (prop)
-  "Convert the string property PROP to a number if appropriate.
-Otherwise if prop looks like a list (meaning it starts with a
-'(') then read it as lisp, otherwise return it unmodified as a
-string."
-  (if (and (stringp prop) (not (equal prop "")))
-      (let ((out (string-to-number prop)))
-	(if (equal out 0)
-	    (if (or (equal "(" (substring prop 0 1)) (equal "'" (substring prop 0 1)))
-		(read prop)
-	      (if (string-match "^\\(+0\\|-0\\|0\\)$" prop)
-		  0
-		(progn (set-text-properties 0 (length prop) nil prop)
-		       prop)))
-	  out))
-    prop))
+      "Convert the string property PROP to a number if appropriate. If prop looks like a list (meaning it starts with a '(') then read it as lisp expression, otherwise return it unmodified as a string.
+Results of calling:
+\(org-read-prop \"12\") -> 12
+\(org-read-prop \"(1 2 3)\") -> (1 2 3)
+\(org-read-prop \"+0\") -> 0
+\(org-read-prop \"aaa\") -> \"aaa\""
+      (if (and (stringp prop) (not (equal prop "")))
+            (let ((out (string-to-number prop)))
+                  (if (equal out 0)
+                        (cond
+                              ((or
+                                     (equal "(" (substring prop 0 1)) 
+                                     (equal "'" (substring prop 0 1)))
+
+                                    (condition-case nil
+                                          (read prop)
+                                          (error prop)))
+                              ((string-match "^\\(+0\\|-0\\|0\\)$" prop)
+                                    0)
+                              (t  
+                                    (set-text-properties 0 (length prop) nil prop)
+                                    prop))
+                        out))
+            prop))
 
 (defun org-dblock-write:propview (params)
   "collect the column specification from the #+cols line