diff --git a/lisp/ob-core.el b/lisp/ob-core.el
index fea91d873..9b8e51673 100644
--- a/lisp/ob-core.el
+++ b/lisp/ob-core.el
@@ -2505,7 +2505,9 @@ appropriate."
   (if (and (stringp cell) (not (equal cell "")))
       (or (org-babel-number-p cell)
           (if (and (not inhibit-lisp-eval)
-		   (member (substring cell 0 1) '("(" "'" "`" "[")))
+		   (member (substring cell 0 1) '("(" "'" "`" "[" "*"))
+		   (or (not (equal (substring cell 0 1) "*"))
+		       (equal (substring cell (- (length cell) 1)) "*")))
               (eval (read cell))
             (if (string= (substring cell 0 1) "\"")
 		(read cell)