diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_sort.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_sort.go
index 7f364ec..42f61d3 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_sort.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_sort.go
@@ -160,11 +160,13 @@ func (a sortableNodeArray) compare(lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode, dateT
 	} else if lhsTag == "!!int" && rhsTag == "!!int" {
 		_, lhsNum, err := parseInt64(lhs.Value)
 		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
+			log.Warningf("Could not parse %v as an int for sort, sorting by string instead: %v", lhs.Value, err)
+			return strings.Compare(lhs.Value, rhs.Value)
 		}
 		_, rhsNum, err := parseInt64(rhs.Value)
 		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
+			log.Warningf("Could not parse %v as an int for sort, sorting by string instead: %v", rhs.Value, err)
+			return strings.Compare(lhs.Value, rhs.Value)
 		}
 		if lhsNum < rhsNum {
 			return -1
@@ -175,11 +177,13 @@ func (a sortableNodeArray) compare(lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode, dateT
 	} else if (lhsTag == "!!int" || lhsTag == "!!float") && (rhsTag == "!!int" || rhsTag == "!!float") {
 		lhsNum, err := strconv.ParseFloat(lhs.Value, 64)
 		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
+			log.Warningf("Could not parse %v as a number for sort, sorting by string instead: %v", lhs.Value, err)
+			return strings.Compare(lhs.Value, rhs.Value)
 		}
 		rhsNum, err := strconv.ParseFloat(rhs.Value, 64)
 		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
+			log.Warningf("Could not parse %v as a number for sort, sorting by string instead: %v", rhs.Value, err)
+			return strings.Compare(lhs.Value, rhs.Value)
 		}
 		if lhsNum == rhsNum {
 			return 0
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_sort_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_sort_test.go
index 33f1f5d..616c26a 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_sort_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_sort_test.go
@@ -180,6 +180,42 @@ var sortByOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[], (!!seq)::[-5000000000000000000, 5000000000000000000]\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "Sort values tagged as ints that are not ints",
+		document:    "[!!int b, !!int a]",
+		expression:  `sort`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!seq)::[!!int a, !!int b]\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "Sort values tagged as floats that are not numbers",
+		document:    "[!!float b, !!float a]",
+		expression:  `sort`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!seq)::[!!float a, !!float b]\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "Sort a number against a value tagged as a number that is not one",
+		document:    "[!!int zz, !!float 1.5]",
+		expression:  `sort`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!seq)::[!!float 1.5, !!int zz]\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "Sort a map by a value tagged as an int that is not one",
+		document:    "{a: !!int notanumber, b: !!int 3}",
+		expression:  `to_entries | sort_by(.value) | from_entries`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!map)::b: !!int 3\na: !!int notanumber\n",
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func TestSortByOperatorScenarios(t *testing.T) {