diff --git a/PExpr.h b/PExpr.h
index 5fd2b8ff6..b2c32854f 100644
--- a/PExpr.h
+++ b/PExpr.h
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ class PENumber : public PExpr {
       virtual unsigned test_width(Design*des, NetScope*scope,
 				  width_mode_t&mode);
 
-      virtual NetEConst*elaborate_expr(Design*des, NetScope*scope,
+      virtual NetExpr  *elaborate_expr(Design*des, NetScope*scope,
 				       ivl_type_t type, unsigned flags) const;
       virtual NetEConst*elaborate_expr(Design*des, NetScope*,
 				       unsigned expr_wid, unsigned) const;
diff --git a/elab_expr.cc b/elab_expr.cc
index c3e2e3293..0c9270bf7 100644
--- a/elab_expr.cc
+++ b/elab_expr.cc
@@ -4843,7 +4843,7 @@ unsigned PENumber::test_width(Design*, NetScope*, width_mode_t&mode)
       return expr_width_;
 }
 
-NetEConst* PENumber::elaborate_expr(Design*des, NetScope*, ivl_type_t ntype, unsigned) const
+NetExpr* PENumber::elaborate_expr(Design*des, NetScope*, ivl_type_t ntype, unsigned) const
 {
       const netvector_t*use_type = dynamic_cast<const netvector_t*> (ntype);
       if (use_type == 0) {
@@ -4854,6 +4854,15 @@ NetEConst* PENumber::elaborate_expr(Design*des, NetScope*, ivl_type_t ntype, uns
 	    return 0;
       }
 
+	// Special case: If the context type is REAL, then cast the
+	// vector value to a real and rethrn a NetECReal.
+      if (ntype->base_type() == IVL_VT_REAL) {
+	    verireal val (value_->as_long());
+	    NetECReal*tmp = new NetECReal(val);
+	    tmp->set_line(*this);
+	    return tmp;
+      }
+
       verinum use_val = value();
       use_val .has_sign( use_type->get_signed() );
       use_val = cast_to_width(use_val, use_type->packed_width());