diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index be8148ea3..7269eece2 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 
 ### Enhancements
 
+- Better errors for non-string column names, as well as automatic conversion
+  of ``pandas.RangeIndex`` columns to strings (#1107)
+
 ### Backward-incompatible changes
 
 ### Maintenance
diff --git a/altair/utils/core.py b/altair/utils/core.py
index 006b4fd88..51c16589e 100644
--- a/altair/utils/core.py
+++ b/altair/utils/core.py
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ def sanitize_dataframe(df):
     """Sanitize a DataFrame to prepare it for serialization.
 
     * Make a copy
+    * Convert RangeIndex columns to strings
+    * Raise ValueError if column names are not strings
     * Raise ValueError if it has a hierarchical index.
     * Convert categoricals to strings.
     * Convert np.bool_ dtypes to Python bool objects
@@ -101,9 +103,17 @@ def sanitize_dataframe(df):
     """
     df = df.copy()
 
-    if isinstance(df.index, pd.core.index.MultiIndex):
+    if isinstance(df.columns, pd.RangeIndex):
+        df.columns = df.columns.astype(str)
+
+    for col in df.columns:
+        if not isinstance(col, six.string_types):
+            raise ValueError('Dataframe contains invalid column name: {0!r}. '
+                             'Column names must be strings'.format(col))
+
+    if isinstance(df.index, pd.MultiIndex):
         raise ValueError('Hierarchical indices not supported')
-    if isinstance(df.columns, pd.core.index.MultiIndex):
+    if isinstance(df.columns, pd.MultiIndex):
         raise ValueError('Hierarchical indices not supported')
 
     def to_list_if_array(val):
diff --git a/altair/utils/tests/test_utils.py b/altair/utils/tests/test_utils.py
index bd1245a51..8185ad2d2 100644
--- a/altair/utils/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/altair/utils/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
+import six
 
 from .. import infer_vegalite_type, sanitize_dataframe
 
@@ -80,6 +81,20 @@ def test_sanitize_dataframe():
     assert df.equals(df2)
 
 
+def test_sanitize_dataframe_colnames():
+    df = pd.DataFrame(np.arange(12).reshape(4, 3))
+
+    # Test that RangeIndex is converted to strings
+    df = sanitize_dataframe(df)
+    assert [isinstance(col, six.string_types) for col in df.columns]
+
+    # Test that non-string columns result in an error
+    df.columns = [4, 'foo', 'bar']
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as err:
+        sanitize_dataframe(df)
+    assert str(err.value).startswith('Dataframe contains invalid column name: 4.')
+
+
 def test_sanitize_dataframe_timedelta():
     df = pd.DataFrame({'r': pd.timedelta_range(start='1 day', periods=4)})
     with pytest.raises(ValueError) as err: