diff --git a/lib/ConnectionConfig.js b/lib/ConnectionConfig.js
index 9cc4446b0..46d648a98 100644
--- a/lib/ConnectionConfig.js
+++ b/lib/ConnectionConfig.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ function ConnectionConfig(options) {
   this.database           = options.database;
   this.insecureAuth       = options.insecureAuth || false;
   this.supportBigNumbers  = options.supportBigNumbers || false;
+  this.bigNumberStrings   = options.bigNumberStrings || false;
   this.debug              = options.debug;
   this.timezone           = options.timezone || 'local';
   this.flags              = options.flags || '';
diff --git a/lib/protocol/packets/RowDataPacket.js b/lib/protocol/packets/RowDataPacket.js
index d270954c9..63937b77c 100644
--- a/lib/protocol/packets/RowDataPacket.js
+++ b/lib/protocol/packets/RowDataPacket.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ function RowDataPacket() {
 RowDataPacket.prototype.parse = function(parser, fieldPackets, typeCast, nestTables, connection) {
   var self = this;
   var next = function () {
-    return self._typeCast(fieldPacket, parser, connection.config.timezone, connection.config.supportBigNumbers);
+    return self._typeCast(fieldPacket, parser, connection.config.timezone, connection.config.supportBigNumbers, connection.config.bigNumberStrings);
   };
 
   for (var i = 0; i < fieldPackets.length; i++) {
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ RowDataPacket.prototype.parse = function(parser, fieldPackets, typeCast, nestTab
       value = typeCast.apply(connection, [ new Field({ packet: fieldPacket, parser: parser }), next ]);
     } else {
       value = (typeCast)
-        ? this._typeCast(fieldPacket, parser, connection.config.timezone, connection.config.supportBigNumbers)
+        ? this._typeCast(fieldPacket, parser, connection.config.timezone, connection.config.supportBigNumbers, connection.config.bigNumberStrings)
         : ( (fieldPacket.charsetNr === Charsets.BINARY)
           ? parser.parseLengthCodedBuffer()
           : parser.parseLengthCodedString() );
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ RowDataPacket.prototype.parse = function(parser, fieldPackets, typeCast, nestTab
   }
 };
 
-RowDataPacket.prototype._typeCast = function(field, parser, timeZone, supportBigNumbers) {
+RowDataPacket.prototype._typeCast = function(field, parser, timeZone, supportBigNumbers, bigNumberStrings) {
+  var numberString;
+
   switch (field.type) {
     case Types.TIMESTAMP:
     case Types.DATE:
@@ -72,12 +74,15 @@ RowDataPacket.prototype._typeCast = function(field, parser, timeZone, supportBig
     case Types.YEAR:
     case Types.FLOAT:
     case Types.DOUBLE:
-    case Types.LONGLONG:
     case Types.NEWDECIMAL:
-      var numberString = parser.parseLengthCodedString();
+      numberString = parser.parseLengthCodedString();
+      return (numberString === null || (field.zeroFill && numberString[0] == "0"))
+        ? numberString : Number(numberString);
+    case Types.LONGLONG:
+      numberString = parser.parseLengthCodedString();
       return (numberString === null || (field.zeroFill && numberString[0] == "0"))
         ? numberString
-        : ((supportBigNumbers && Number(numberString) > IEEE_754_BINARY_64_PRECISION)
+        : ((supportBigNumbers && (bigNumberStrings || (Number(numberString) > IEEE_754_BINARY_64_PRECISION)))
           ? numberString
           : Number(numberString));
     case Types.BIT: