diff --git a/public/app/panels/table/renderer.ts b/public/app/panels/table/renderer.ts
index a2c86d940b9..acfef961f07 100644
--- a/public/app/panels/table/renderer.ts
+++ b/public/app/panels/table/renderer.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ export class TableRenderer {
           return '-';
         }
 
+        if (_.isString(v)) {
+          return v;
+        }
+
         if (style.colorMode) {
           this.colorState[style.colorMode] = this.getColorForValue(v, style);
         }
diff --git a/public/app/panels/table/specs/renderer_specs.ts b/public/app/panels/table/specs/renderer_specs.ts
index 08f63dfe799..fad4f993acf 100644
--- a/public/app/panels/table/specs/renderer_specs.ts
+++ b/public/app/panels/table/specs/renderer_specs.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ describe('when rendering table', () => {
       expect(html).to.be('<td>1.230 s</td>');
     });
 
+    it('number style should ignore string values', () => {
+      var html = renderer.renderCell(1, 'asd');
+      expect(html).to.be('<td>asd</td>');
+    });
+
     it('colored cell should have style', () => {
       var html = renderer.renderCell(2, 55);
       expect(html).to.be('<td style="color:orange">55.0</td>');