diff --git a/resources/default_tweaks.py b/resources/default_tweaks.py
index 1aa820819c..6b351ed18c 100644
--- a/resources/default_tweaks.py
+++ b/resources/default_tweaks.py
@@ -517,3 +517,11 @@ default_tweak_format = None
 # your library and your personal editing style.
 preselect_first_completion = False
 
+#: Recognize numbers inside text when sorting
+# This means that when sorting on text fields like title the text "Book 2"
+# will sort before the text "Book 100". This is how humans usually expect
+# things to sort. If you prefer the computer sort (which is a little faster,
+# but will cause Book 100 to sort before Book 2), then set numeric_collation
+# to False.
+numeric_collation = True
+
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/icu.c b/src/calibre/utils/icu.c
index 3c133418b1..f1e8fce299 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/icu.c
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/icu.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ icu_Collator_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_Exception, "Failed to create collator.");
         return NULL;
     }
+    ucol_setAttribute(collator, UCOL_NUMERIC_COLLATION, UCOL_ON, &status);
 
     self = (icu_Collator *)type->tp_alloc(type, 0);
     if (self != NULL) {
@@ -110,6 +111,21 @@ icu_Collator_set_strength(icu_Collator *self, PyObject *val, void *closure) {
 }
 // }}}
 
+// Collator.numeric {{{
+static PyObject *
+icu_Collator_get_numeric(icu_Collator *self, void *closure) {
+    UErrorCode status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
+    return Py_BuildValue("O", (ucol_getAttribute(self->collator, UCOL_NUMERIC_COLLATION, &status) == UCOL_ON) ? Py_True : Py_False);
+}
+
+static int
+icu_Collator_set_numeric(icu_Collator *self, PyObject *val, void *closure) {
+    UErrorCode status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
+    ucol_setAttribute(self->collator, UCOL_NUMERIC_COLLATION, (PyObject_IsTrue(val)) ? UCOL_ON : UCOL_OFF, &status);
+    return 0;
+}
+// }}}
+
 // Collator.actual_locale {{{
 static PyObject *
 icu_Collator_actual_locale(icu_Collator *self, void *closure) {
@@ -415,6 +431,10 @@ static PyGetSetDef  icu_Collator_getsetters[] = {
      (char *)"The strength of this collator.",
      NULL},
 
+    {(char *)"numeric",
+     (getter)icu_Collator_get_numeric, (setter)icu_Collator_set_numeric,
+     (char *)"If True the collator sorts contiguous digits as numbers rather than strings, so 2 will sort before 10.",
+     NULL},
 
     {NULL}  /* Sentinel */
 };
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/icu.py b/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
index 66ee8fd59f..aa08f293fa 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ def load_collator():
         icu = load_icu()
         if icu is not None:
             _collator = icu.Collator(get_locale())
+            if not tweaks['numeric_collation']:
+                _collator.numeric = False
     return _collator
 
 def primary_collator():