diff --git a/python/ycm/tests/vimsupport_test.py b/python/ycm/tests/vimsupport_test.py
index f789f045..b8137efb 100644
--- a/python/ycm/tests/vimsupport_test.py
+++ b/python/ycm/tests/vimsupport_test.py
@@ -1255,3 +1255,39 @@ def TextAfterCursor_EncodedUnicode_test( *args ):
 @patch( 'vim.current.line', ToBytes( 'fДa' ) )
 def CurrentLineContents_EncodedUnicode_test( *args ):
   eq_( vimsupport.CurrentLineContents(), u'fДa' )
+
+
+@patch( 'vim.eval', side_effect = lambda x: x )
+def VimExpressionToPythonType_IntAsUnicode_test( *args ):
+  eq_( vimsupport.VimExpressionToPythonType( '123' ), 123 )
+
+
+@patch( 'vim.eval', side_effect = lambda x: x )
+def VimExpressionToPythonType_IntAsBytes_test( *args ):
+  eq_( vimsupport.VimExpressionToPythonType( ToBytes( '123' ) ), 123 )
+
+
+@patch( 'vim.eval', side_effect = lambda x: x )
+def VimExpressionToPythonType_StringAsUnicode_test( *args ):
+  eq_( vimsupport.VimExpressionToPythonType( 'foo' ), 'foo' )
+
+
+@patch( 'vim.eval', side_effect = lambda x: x )
+def VimExpressionToPythonType_StringAsBytes_test( *args ):
+  eq_( vimsupport.VimExpressionToPythonType( ToBytes( 'foo' ) ), 'foo' )
+
+
+@patch( 'vim.eval', side_effect = lambda x: x )
+def VimExpressionToPythonType_ListPassthrough_test( *args ):
+  eq_( vimsupport.VimExpressionToPythonType( [ 1, 2 ] ), [ 1, 2 ] )
+
+
+@patch( 'vim.eval', side_effect = lambda x: x )
+def VimExpressionToPythonType_ObjectPassthrough_test( *args ):
+  eq_( vimsupport.VimExpressionToPythonType( { 1: 2 } ), { 1: 2 } )
+
+
+@patch( 'vim.eval', side_effect = lambda x: x )
+def VimExpressionToPythonType_GeneratorPassthrough_test( *args ):
+  gen = ( x**2 for x in [ 1, 2, 3 ] )
+  eq_( vimsupport.VimExpressionToPythonType( gen ), gen )
diff --git a/python/ycm/vimsupport.py b/python/ycm/vimsupport.py
index be55e3e0..514c1d05 100644
--- a/python/ycm/vimsupport.py
+++ b/python/ycm/vimsupport.py
@@ -318,13 +318,20 @@ def GetReadOnlyVimGlobals( force_python_objects = False ):
 
 
 def VimExpressionToPythonType( vim_expression ):
+  """Returns a Python type from the return value of the supplied Vim expression.
+  If the expression returns a list, dict or other non-string type, then it is
+  returned unmodified. If the string return can be converted to an
+  integer, returns an integer, otherwise returns the result converted to a
+  Unicode string."""
+
   result = vim.eval( vim_expression )
-  if not isinstance( result, str ) or isinstance( result, bytes ):
-    return ToUnicode( result )
+  if not ( isinstance( result, str ) or isinstance( result, bytes ) ):
+    return result
+
   try:
     return int( result )
   except ValueError:
-    return result
+    return ToUnicode( result )
 
 
 def HiddenEnabled( buffer_object ):