diff --git a/node.lua b/node.lua
index b9cf87b..526195f 100644
--- a/node.lua
+++ b/node.lua
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ function nnNode:label()
       elseif istable(data) then
          local tstr = {}
          for i,v in ipairs(data) do
-            table.insert(tstr, getstr(v))
+            local gsv = getstr(v) -- avoids luajit error for type(v)='string'
+            table.insert(tstr, gsv)
          end
          return '{' .. table.concat(tstr,',') .. '}'
       else
diff --git a/test/test_nngraph.lua b/test/test_nngraph.lua
index 0b06f9c..534d131 100644
--- a/test/test_nngraph.lua
+++ b/test/test_nngraph.lua
@@ -371,6 +371,24 @@ function test.test_gradInputType()
       checkDotFile(bg_tmpfile)
    end
 
+   function test.test_table_string_label()
+      local inp = nn.Identity()()
+      local in1 = nn.SelectTable(1)(inp)
+      local in2 = nn.SelectTable(2)(inp)
+      local out = nn.Linear(10,10)(in1)
+      -- in2 propagates 'as is':   it could be, say, a string debug tag
+      local mod = nn.gModule({inp}, {out,in2})
+
+      local mod_out = mod:forward{
+         torch.Tensor(10),
+         "nnNode:label() should handle a string without bad argument #2 to 'insert' (number expected, got string) error"
+      }
+      --print('mod_out[1] type is '..torch.type(mod_out[1]))
+      --print('mod_out[2] type is '..torch.type(mod_out[2])) -- string
+      local dot0 = mod.fg:todot()
+      --print(dot0)
+   end
+
    function test.test_splitMore()
       local nSplits = 2
       local in1 = nn.Identity()()