diff --git a/fire/parser.py b/fire/parser.py
index a335cc2c..a8b5c6a8 100644
--- a/fire/parser.py
+++ b/fire/parser.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def _LiteralEval(value):
     SyntaxError: If the value string has a syntax error.
   """
   root = ast.parse(value, mode='eval')
-  if isinstance(root.body, ast.BinOp):
+  if _ContainsDisallowedBinOp(root):
     raise ValueError(value)
 
   for node in ast.walk(root):
@@ -116,6 +116,30 @@ def _LiteralEval(value):
   return ast.literal_eval(root)
 
 
+def _ContainsDisallowedBinOp(node):
+  """Returns whether the AST contains BinOps other than complex literals."""
+  for child in ast.walk(node):
+    if isinstance(child, ast.BinOp) and not _IsComplexLiteralBinOp(child):
+      return True
+  return False
+
+
+def _IsComplexLiteralBinOp(node):
+  """Returns whether a BinOp is used to express a complex literal, e.g. 2+3j."""
+  if not isinstance(node.op, (ast.Add, ast.Sub)):
+    return False
+  return (_HasImaginaryLiteral(node.left) or
+          _HasImaginaryLiteral(node.right))
+
+
+def _HasImaginaryLiteral(node):
+  if isinstance(node, ast.Constant) and isinstance(node.value, complex):
+    return True
+  if isinstance(node, ast.UnaryOp) and isinstance(node.op, ast.USub):
+    return _HasImaginaryLiteral(node.operand)
+  return False
+
+
 def _Replacement(node):
   """Returns a node to use in place of the supplied node in the AST.
 
diff --git a/fire/parser_test.py b/fire/parser_test.py
index a404eea2..9b1041e0 100644
--- a/fire/parser_test.py
+++ b/fire/parser_test.py
@@ -135,6 +135,12 @@ def testDefaultParseValueSyntaxError(self):
   def testDefaultParseValueIgnoreBinOp(self):
     self.assertEqual(parser.DefaultParseValue('2017-10-10'), '2017-10-10')
     self.assertEqual(parser.DefaultParseValue('1+1'), '1+1')
+    self.assertEqual(parser.DefaultParseValue('[1+1]'), '[1+1]')
+    self.assertEqual(parser.DefaultParseValue('{key: 1+1}'), '{key: 1+1}')
+
+  def testDefaultParseValueComplexLiterals(self):
+    self.assertEqual(parser.DefaultParseValue('2+3j'), 2 + 3j)
+    self.assertEqual(parser.DefaultParseValue('(2+3j)'), 2 + 3j)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
   testutils.main()