diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index b15529cc..921a2253 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 DBI/DBD community (4.048)
 * Fix corrupted META.json so cpan installations work as expected.
    https://github.com/perl5-dbi/DBD-mysql/issues/263
+* Fix issue 251: unable to insert "." with bind_type_guessing on
 
 2018-09-08 Daniël van Eeden, Patrick Galbraith, DBI/DBD community (4.047)
 * Add options needed for public key based security.
diff --git a/dbdimp.c b/dbdimp.c
index 2f6930a1..478c18ec 100644
--- a/dbdimp.c
+++ b/dbdimp.c
@@ -5665,6 +5665,22 @@ int mysql_db_async_ready(SV* h)
   }
 }
 
+/* 
+ * this funtion tries to parse numbers from the passed string value 
+ * for emulated prepared statements being bound
+ *   * finds the beginning and end address of the string
+ *   * loops through the string
+ *   * skips past any spaces
+ *   * if it sees a -, ., +, or e, sets a flag
+ *      * if all subsequent values are numbers, is a digit
+ *      * otherwise, a string
+ *   * if any character that's not a digit is found, it's a string
+ *   * if only numbers are found, it's a number
+ *   * `end` is set to the address of the last member in the iteration
+ *   and used in knowing where the value is when building the SQL
+ *   statement
+ *   
+*/
 static int parse_number(char *string, STRLEN len, char **end)
 {
     int seen_neg;
@@ -5672,7 +5688,7 @@ static int parse_number(char *string, STRLEN len, char **end)
     int seen_e;
     int seen_plus;
     int seen_digit;
-    char *cp;
+    char *cp,*str_end;
 
     seen_neg= seen_dec= seen_e= seen_plus= seen_digit= 0;
 
@@ -5681,6 +5697,7 @@ static int parse_number(char *string, STRLEN len, char **end)
     }
 
     cp= string;
+    str_end= string + len-1; 
 
     /* Skip leading whitespace */
     while (*cp && isspace(*cp))
@@ -5688,7 +5705,7 @@ static int parse_number(char *string, STRLEN len, char **end)
 
     for ( ; *cp; cp++)
     {
-      if ('-' == *cp)
+      if (*cp == '-')
       {
         if (seen_neg >= 2)
         {
@@ -5699,27 +5716,35 @@ static int parse_number(char *string, STRLEN len, char **end)
         }
         seen_neg += 1;
       }
-      else if ('.' == *cp)
+      else if (*cp == '.')
       {
-        if (seen_dec)
+        if (seen_dec || cp == str_end)
         {
           /* second '.' */
           break;
         }
         seen_dec= 1;
       }
-      else if ('e' == *cp)
+      else if (*cp == 'e')
       {
-        if (seen_e)
+        /* 
+         * this is the case where the value for example, e2,
+         * which should be a varchar 
+         */
+        if (cp == str_end -1)
+        {
+            break;
+        }
+        if (seen_e || cp == str_end)
         {
           /* second 'e' */
           break;
         }
         seen_e= 1;
       }
-      else if ('+' == *cp)
+      else if (*cp == '+')
       {
-        if (seen_plus)
+        if (seen_plus || cp == str_end)
         {
           /* second '+' */
           break;
@@ -5732,6 +5757,7 @@ static int parse_number(char *string, STRLEN len, char **end)
         /* seen_digit= 1; */
         break;
       }
+      /*printf("else: cp is a digit: %d\n", *cp); */
     }
 
     *end= cp;
diff --git a/dbdimp.h b/dbdimp.h
index db0045a0..b7f5d0f4 100644
--- a/dbdimp.h
+++ b/dbdimp.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 /*
  *  Header files we use
  */
+#include <ctype.h>
 #include <DBIXS.h>  /* installed by the DBI module                        */
 #include <mysql.h>  /* Comes with MySQL-devel */
 #include <mysqld_error.h>  /* Comes MySQL */
diff --git a/t/35limit.t b/t/35limit.t
index 881d61d1..9a98896e 100644
--- a/t/35limit.t
+++ b/t/35limit.t
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ require 'lib.pl';
 
 my $dbh;
 eval {$dbh= DBI->connect($test_dsn, $test_user, $test_password,
-                      { RaiseError => 1, PrintError => 1, AutoCommit => 0 });};
+        { mysql_bind_type_guessing => 1,
+          RaiseError => 1,
+          PrintError => 1,
+          AutoCommit => 1 });};
+
 if ($@) {
     plan skip_all => "no database connection";
 }
diff --git a/t/51bind_type_guessing.t b/t/51bind_type_guessing.t
index 8e4826fe..60b09f45 100644
--- a/t/51bind_type_guessing.t
+++ b/t/51bind_type_guessing.t
@@ -4,20 +4,22 @@ use warnings;
 use DBI;
 use DBI::Const::GetInfoType;
 use Test::More;
+select(($|=1,select(STDERR),$|=1)[1]);
 use lib 't', '.';
 require 'lib.pl';
 
 use vars qw($test_dsn $test_user $test_password);
 
-my $dbh;
+my ($dbh, $t);
 eval {$dbh= DBI->connect($test_dsn, $test_user, $test_password,
-                      { RaiseError => 1, PrintError => 1, AutoCommit => 0 });};
+                      { RaiseError => 1, PrintError => 1, AutoCommit => 1 });};
 if ($@) {
     plan skip_all => "no database connection";
 }
-plan tests => 26; 
+plan tests => 98;
 
-ok $dbh->do("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing"), "drop table if exists dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing";
+ok $dbh->do("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing"),
+            "drop table if exists dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing";
 
 my $create= <<"EOTABLE";
 create table dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing (
@@ -25,7 +27,6 @@ create table dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing (
     )
 EOTABLE
 
-
 ok $dbh->do($create), "creating table";
 
 my $statement= "insert into dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing (id) values (?)";
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@ ok $sth2= $dbh->prepare($statement);
 ok $rows= $sth2->execute('9999999999999996', '9999999999999997');
 
 my $retref;
-ok $retref= $dbh->selectall_arrayref("select * from dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing");
+ok $retref= $dbh->selectall_arrayref(
+    "select * from dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing");
 
 cmp_ok $retref->[0][0], '==', 9999999999999998;
 cmp_ok $retref->[1][0], '==', 9999999999999996;
@@ -62,21 +64,143 @@ cmp_ok $retref->[1][0], '==', 9999999999999996;
 # checking varchars/empty strings/misidentification:
 $create= <<"EOTABLE";
 create table dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing (
+    id bigint default 0 not null,
+    nn bigint default 0,
+    dd double(12,4),
     str varchar(80),
-    num bigint
-    )
+    primary key (id)
+    ) engine=innodb
 EOTABLE
+
 ok $dbh->do("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing"), "drop table if exists dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing";
-ok $dbh->do($create), "creating table w/ varchar";
+
+ok $dbh->do($create), "creating table with int, double, and varchar";
+
+my @sts;
+$t= "prepare insert integer col nn into dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing";
+ok $sts[0] = $dbh->prepare("insert into dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing (id,nn) values (?,?)"), $t;
+$t= "prepare update double col dd dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing";
+ok $sts[1] = $dbh->prepare("update dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing set dd = ? where id = ?"), $t;
+$t= "prepare update string col str dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing";
+ok $sts[2] = $dbh->prepare("update dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing set str = ? where id = ?"), $t;
+
+# various values to try including issue 251
+my @vals = ( 52.3,
+    '     77.7777',
+    '.1',
+    '5e3',
+    +1,
+    -1,
+    undef,
+    '5e',
+    '1+',
+    '+',
+    '.',
+    'e5',
+);
+
+my $val;
+# the tests for 'like' are when values fail to be inserted/updated
+for my $i (0 .. 11) {
+    $val = $vals[$i];
+    if (defined $val) {
+        $t= "insert int val $val id $i"
+    }
+    else {
+        $t= "insert undef into int id $i";
+    }
+    if ($i >= 8) {
+        eval {
+            $rows= $sts[0]->execute($i, $val);
+        };
+        if ($i == 8) {
+            like ($@, qr{Data truncated for column}, $t);
+        }
+        else {
+            like ($@, qr{Incorrect integer value}, $t);
+        }
+        $rows= $sts[0]->execute($i, 0);
+    }
+    else {
+        ok $rows= $sts[0]->execute($i, $val),$t;
+    }
+
+    if (defined $val) {
+        $t= "update double val $val id $i";
+    }
+    else {
+        $t= "update double val undefined id $i";
+    }
+    if ($i >= 7) {
+        eval {
+            $rows = $sts[1]->execute($val, $i);
+        };
+        like ($@, qr{Data truncated for column}, $t);
+        $rows= $sts[1]->execute(0, $i);
+    }
+    else {
+        ok $rows= $sts[1]->execute($val,$i),$t;
+    }
+
+    if (defined $val) {
+        $t= "update string val $val id $i";
+    }
+    else {
+        $t= "update string val undef id $i";
+    }
+    ok $rows = $sts[2]->execute($val,$i),$t;
+}
+
+for my $i (0 .. 2) {
+    $sts[$i]->finish();
+}
+
+# expected results
+my $res= [
+          [ 0, 52, '52.3', '52.3' ],
+          [ 1, 78, '77.7777', '77.7777' ],
+          [ 2, 0, '0.1', '0.1' ],
+          [ 3, 5000, '5000', '5e3' ],
+          [ 4, 1, '1', '1' ],
+          [ 5, -1, '-1', '-1' ],
+          [ 6, undef, undef, undef ],
+          [ 7, 5, '0', '5e' ],
+          [ 8, 0, '0', '1+' ],
+          [ 9, 0, '0', '+' ],
+          [ 10, 0, '0', '.' ],
+          [ 11, 0, '0', 'e5' ]
+	  ];
+
+$t= "Select all values";
+my $query= "select * from dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing";
+
+ok $retref = $dbh->selectall_arrayref($query), $t;
+
+for my $i (0 .. $#$res) {
+    if ($i == 6) {
+        is($retref->[$i][1], undef, "$i: nn undefined as expected");
+        is($retref->[$i][2], undef, "$i: dd undefined as expected");
+        is($retref->[$i][3], undef, "$i: str undefined as expected");
+    }
+    else {
+        cmp_ok $retref->[$i][1], '==', $res->[$i][1],
+            "test: " . "$retref->[$i][1], '==', $res->[$i][1]";
+        cmp_ok $retref->[$i][2], 'eq', $res->[$i][2],
+            "test: " . "$retref->[$i][2], '==', $res->[$i][2]";
+        cmp_ok $retref->[$i][3], 'eq', $res->[$i][3],
+            "test: " . "$retref->[$i][2], '==', $res->[$i][2]";
+    }
+}
+
 my $sth3;
-ok $sth3= $dbh->prepare("insert into dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing (str, num) values (?, ?)");
-ok $rows= $sth3->execute(52.3, 44);
-ok $rows= $sth3->execute('', '     77');
-ok $rows= $sth3->execute(undef, undef);
-
-ok $sth3= $dbh->prepare("select * from dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing limit ?");
-ok $rows= $sth3->execute(1);
-ok $rows= $sth3->execute('   1');
+$t = "Prepare limit statement";
+ok $sth3= $dbh->prepare("select * from dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing limit ?"), $t;
+$val = 1;
+$t = "select with limit $val statement";
+ok $rows= $sth3->execute($val), $t;
+$val = '    1';
+$t = "select with limit $val statement";
+ok $rows= $sth3->execute($val), $t;
 $sth3->finish();
 
 ok $dbh->do("DROP TABLE dbd_mysql_t51bind_type_guessing");