diff --git a/mira/modeling/amr/regnet.py b/mira/modeling/amr/regnet.py
index 2f0d7c383..a9823ae5f 100644
--- a/mira/modeling/amr/regnet.py
+++ b/mira/modeling/amr/regnet.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import json
 import logging
 from copy import deepcopy
-from typing import Dict, List, Optional
+from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Union
 
 import sympy
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
@@ -66,9 +66,14 @@ def __init__(self, model: Model):
             }
             initial = var.data.get('expression')
             if initial is not None:
-                if isinstance(initial, float):
-                    initial = safe_parse_expr(str(initial))
-                state_data['initial'] = str(initial)
+                # Here, initial is a SympyExprStr, and if its
+                # value is a float, we export it as a float,
+                # otherwise we export it as a string
+                try:
+                    initial_float = float(initial.args[0])
+                    state_data['initial'] = initial_float
+                except TypeError:
+                    state_data['initial'] = str(initial)
             self.states.append(state_data)
             self._states_by_id[name] = state_data
 
@@ -315,7 +320,7 @@ def template_model_to_regnet_json(tm: TemplateModel):
 
 
 class Initial(BaseModel):
-    expression: str
+    expression: Union[str, float]
     expression_mathml: str
 
 
diff --git a/notebooks/hackathon_2024.02/scenario4/scenario4_4spec_regnet.json b/notebooks/hackathon_2024.02/scenario4/scenario4_4spec_regnet.json
index 2369e2c14..f8ca03c81 100644
--- a/notebooks/hackathon_2024.02/scenario4/scenario4_4spec_regnet.json
+++ b/notebooks/hackathon_2024.02/scenario4/scenario4_4spec_regnet.json
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
       "species": "1"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.51",
+    "initial": 0.51,
     "rate_constant": "r_0",
     "sign": true
    },
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       "species": "2"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.39",
+    "initial": 0.39,
     "rate_constant": "r_1",
     "sign": true
    },
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
       "species": "3"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.88",
+    "initial": 0.88,
     "rate_constant": "r_2",
     "sign": true
    },
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
       "species": "4"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.4",
+    "initial": 0.4,
     "rate_constant": "r_3",
     "sign": true
    }
diff --git a/notebooks/hackathon_2024.02/scenario4/scenario4_6spec_regnet.json b/notebooks/hackathon_2024.02/scenario4/scenario4_6spec_regnet.json
index 1ca7c81db..9d371e927 100644
--- a/notebooks/hackathon_2024.02/scenario4/scenario4_6spec_regnet.json
+++ b/notebooks/hackathon_2024.02/scenario4/scenario4_6spec_regnet.json
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
       "species": "1"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.51",
+    "initial": 0.51,
     "rate_constant": "r_0",
     "sign": true
    },
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       "species": "2"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.39",
+    "initial": 0.39,
     "rate_constant": "r_1",
     "sign": true
    },
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
       "species": "3"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.88",
+    "initial": 0.88,
     "rate_constant": "r_2",
     "sign": true
    },
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
       "species": "4"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.4",
+    "initial": 0.4,
     "rate_constant": "r_3",
     "sign": true
    },
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
       "species": "5"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.2",
+    "initial": 0.2,
     "rate_constant": "r_4",
     "sign": true
    },
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
       "species": "6"
      }
     },
-    "initial": "0.8",
+    "initial": 0.8,
     "rate_constant": "r_5",
     "sign": true
    }