diff --git a/core/server/settings/cache.js b/core/server/settings/cache.js
index 10bdaf3fc3..9911b974ea 100644
--- a/core/server/settings/cache.js
+++ b/core/server/settings/cache.js
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ module.exports = {
 
         // Default behaviour is to try to resolve the value and return that
         try {
+            // CASE: if a string contains a number e.g. "1", JSON.parse will auto convert into integer
+            if (settingsCache[key].value.match(/^\d+$/)) {
+                return settingsCache[key].value;
+            }
+
             return JSON.parse(settingsCache[key].value);
         } catch (err) {
             return settingsCache[key].value;
diff --git a/core/test/unit/settings/cache_spec.js b/core/test/unit/settings/cache_spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b59c1499ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/test/unit/settings/cache_spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+var rewire = require('rewire'),
+    should = require('should'),
+    cache = rewire('../../../server/settings/cache');
+
+should.equal(true, true);
+
+describe('UNIT: settings cache', function () {
+    it('does not auto convert string into number', function () {
+        cache.set('key1', {value: '1'});
+        (typeof cache.get('key1')).should.eql('string');
+    });
+
+    it('stringified JSON get\'s parsed', function () {
+        cache.set('key2', {value: '{"a":"1","b":"hallo","c":{"d":[]},"e":2}'});
+        (typeof cache.get('key2')).should.eql('object');
+        cache.get('key2').a.should.eql('1');
+        cache.get('key2').b.should.eql('hallo');
+        cache.get('key2').c.should.eql({d: []});
+        cache.get('key2').e.should.eql(2);
+    });
+});