diff --git a/cottoncandy/browser.py b/cottoncandy/browser.py
index 8774fac..a50c6b2 100644
--- a/cottoncandy/browser.py
+++ b/cottoncandy/browser.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import os
 
 from utils import (clean_object_name,
+                   has_start_digit,
                    has_magic,
                    has_real_magic,
                    has_trivial_magic,
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
 
 
 
+
 # globals
 ##############################
 
@@ -127,8 +129,12 @@ def __init__(self, path, interface):
         for sdir in subdirs:
             if sdir:
                 # modify name for tab-completion purposes
-                fl, ext = os.path.splitext(sdir)
-                kk = fl+'_'+ext[1:].upper() if ext else sdir
+                sdir_copy = sdir[:]
+                # clean numbers
+                sdir_copy = 'NUM_%s'%sdir_copy if has_start_digit(sdir) else sdir_copy
+                # clean extension
+                fl, ext = os.path.splitext(sdir_copy)
+                kk = fl+'_DOT_'+ext[1:] if ext else sdir_copy
                 self._subdirs[kk] = sdir
 
     def _ls(self):
diff --git a/cottoncandy/utils.py b/cottoncandy/utils.py
index 873346c..ffcbc53 100644
--- a/cottoncandy/utils.py
+++ b/cottoncandy/utils.py
@@ -140,6 +140,10 @@ def remove_root(string_):
 # path handling
 ##############################
 
+check_digits = re.compile('[0-9]')
+
+def has_start_digit(s):
+    return check_digits.match(s) is not None
 
 def has_magic(s):
     '''Check string to see if it has any glob magic