diff --git a/bin/deepstate/core/base.py b/bin/deepstate/core/base.py
index 4c3aa5e8..d0c92075 100644
--- a/bin/deepstate/core/base.py
+++ b/bin/deepstate/core/base.py
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ def parse_args(cls) -> Optional[argparse.Namespace]:
     if args.config:
       _args.update(cls.build_from_config(args.config)) # type: ignore
 
+      # configparser gives us strings -- apply argparse types (issue #311)
+      cls._coerce_config_types(parser, _args)
+
       # Cleanup: force --no_exit_compile to be on, meaning if user specifies a `[test]` section,
       # execution will continue. Delete config as well
       _args["no_exit_compile"] = True # type: ignore
@@ -269,6 +272,32 @@ def build_from_config(config: str, allowed_keys: Optional[List[str]] = None, inc
     return context # type: ignore
 
 
+  @staticmethod
+  def _coerce_config_types(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser,
+                           _args: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+    """Apply argparse types to values loaded from a config file (issue #311)."""
+    for action in parser._actions:
+      if action.dest not in _args:
+        continue
+      value = _args[action.dest]
+      if not isinstance(value, str):
+        continue
+
+      if isinstance(action, (argparse._StoreTrueAction, argparse._StoreFalseAction)):
+        v = value.strip().lower()
+        if v in ("true", "1", "yes"):
+          _args[action.dest] = True
+        elif v in ("false", "0", "no"):
+          _args[action.dest] = False
+        else:
+          raise AnalysisBackendError(f"Invalid boolean for --{action.dest}: {value!r}")
+      elif action.type not in (None, str):
+        try:
+          _args[action.dest] = action.type(value)
+        except (ValueError, TypeError):
+          raise AnalysisBackendError(f"Invalid value for --{action.dest}: {value!r}")
+
+
   def init_from_dict(self, _args: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None) -> None:
     """
     Builder initialization routine used to instantiate the attributes of the frontend object, either from the stored
diff --git a/tests/test_config_types.py b/tests/test_config_types.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e3a666e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_config_types.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import argparse
+import unittest
+
+from deepstate.core.base import AnalysisBackend, AnalysisBackendError
+
+
+def make_parser():
+  p = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+  p.add_argument("--timeout", type=int, default=0)
+  p.add_argument("--ratio", type=float, default=0.0)
+  p.add_argument("--blackbox", action="store_true")
+  return p
+
+
+class ConfigTypesTest(unittest.TestCase):
+
+  def test_int(self):
+    args = {"timeout": "3600"}
+    AnalysisBackend._coerce_config_types(make_parser(), args)
+    self.assertEqual(args["timeout"], 3600)
+    self.assertIsInstance(args["timeout"], int)
+
+  def test_float(self):
+    args = {"ratio": "0.25"}
+    AnalysisBackend._coerce_config_types(make_parser(), args)
+    self.assertEqual(args["ratio"], 0.25)
+
+  def test_bool_true(self):
+    args = {"blackbox": "true"}
+    AnalysisBackend._coerce_config_types(make_parser(), args)
+    self.assertTrue(args["blackbox"])
+
+  def test_bool_false(self):
+    args = {"blackbox": "false"}
+    AnalysisBackend._coerce_config_types(make_parser(), args)
+    self.assertFalse(args["blackbox"])
+
+  def test_invalid_int_raises(self):
+    args = {"timeout": "not a number"}
+    with self.assertRaises(AnalysisBackendError):
+      AnalysisBackend._coerce_config_types(make_parser(), args)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  unittest.main()