diff --git a/check_home_assistant_state.py b/check_home_assistant_state.py
index 2adeb44..aef3f00 100755
--- a/check_home_assistant_state.py
+++ b/check_home_assistant_state.py
@@ -17,6 +17,23 @@ import nagiosplugin
 _log = logging.getLogger("nagiosplugin")
 
 
+class ScalarOrUnknownContext(nagiosplugin.ScalarContext):
+    def evaluate(self, metric: nagiosplugin.Metric, resource: nagiosplugin.Resource):
+        if isinstance(metric.value, (int, float)):
+            return super().evaluate(metric, resource)
+        else:
+            return self.result_cls(nagiosplugin.state.Unknown, "non-scalar value", metric)
+
+    def performance(self, metric: nagiosplugin.Metric, resource: nagiosplugin.Resource):
+        if isinstance(metric.value, (int, float)):
+            return super().performance(metric, resource)
+        else:
+            return nagiosplugin.Performance(
+                metric.name, "U", metric.uom,
+                self.warning, self.critical,
+                metric.min, metric.max)
+
+
 @dataclasses.dataclass
 class Entities(nagiosplugin.Resource):
     url: str
@@ -56,16 +73,14 @@ class Entities(nagiosplugin.Resource):
                 state["attributes"].get(k) == v for k, v in self.filters
             ):
                 if self.attribute is not None:
-                    value = state["attributes"].get(
-                        self.attribute, -1 if self.numeric else "attribute missing"
-                    )
+                    value = state["attributes"].get(self.attribute, "missing attribute")
                     uom = None
                 else:
                     if self.numeric:
                         try:
                             value = float(state["state"])
                         except ValueError:
-                            value = -1
+                            value = state["state"]
                     else:
                         value = state["state"]
                     uom = state["attributes"].get("unit_of_measurement")
@@ -79,8 +94,6 @@ class Entities(nagiosplugin.Resource):
                 else:
                     name = state["entity_id"]
 
-                if state["state"] == "unavailable":
-                    _log.info(f"{state['entity_id']} unavailable")
                 yield nagiosplugin.Metric(
                     name,
                     value,
@@ -340,7 +353,7 @@ def main():
                 attribute=args.attribute,
                 friendly_name=args.friendly,
             ),
-            nagiosplugin.ScalarContext(args.device_class, args.warning, args.critical),
+            ScalarOrUnknownContext(args.device_class, args.warning, args.critical),
         )
     elif args.subparser_name == "text":
         check = nagiosplugin.Check(