diff --git a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelper.java b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelper.java
index e1d9d1615c..42c128fe3d 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelper.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelper.java
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
-import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.*;
-import static org.hamcrest.core.IsInstanceOf.*;
-import static org.springframework.test.util.AssertionErrors.*;
+import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.assertThat;
+import static org.hamcrest.core.IsInstanceOf.instanceOf;
+import static org.springframework.test.util.AssertionErrors.assertEquals;
+import static org.springframework.test.util.AssertionErrors.assertTrue;
+import static org.springframework.test.util.AssertionErrors.fail;
 
 /**
  * A helper class for applying assertions via JSON path expressions.
@@ -76,6 +78,21 @@ public class JsonPathExpectationsHelper {
 		assertThat("JSON path \"" + this.expression + "\"", value, matcher);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * An overloaded variant of {@link #assertValue(String, Matcher)} that also
+	 * accepts a target type for the resulting value. This can be useful for
+	 * matching numbers reliably for example coercing an integer into a double.
+	 * @param content the JSON content
+	 * @param matcher the matcher with which to assert the result
+	 * @param targetType a the expected type of the resulting value
+	 * @since 5.0
+	 */
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	public <T> void assertValue(String content, Matcher<T> matcher, Class<T> targetType) throws ParseException {
+		T value = (T) evaluateJsonPath(content, targetType);
+		assertThat("JSON path \"" + this.expression + "\"", value, matcher);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Evaluate the JSON path expression against the supplied {@code content}
 	 * and assert that the result is equal to the expected value.
@@ -96,8 +113,9 @@ public class JsonPathExpectationsHelper {
 			actualValue = actualValueList.get(0);
 		}
 		else if (actualValue != null && expectedValue != null) {
-			assertEquals("At JSON path \"" + this.expression + "\", type of value",
-					expectedValue.getClass().getName(), actualValue.getClass().getName());
+			if (!actualValue.getClass().equals(expectedValue.getClass())) {
+				actualValue = evaluateJsonPath(content, expectedValue.getClass());
+			}
 		}
 		assertEquals("JSON path \"" + this.expression + "\"", expectedValue, actualValue);
 	}
@@ -232,6 +250,16 @@ public class JsonPathExpectationsHelper {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private Object evaluateJsonPath(String content, Class<?> targetType) throws ParseException {
+		String message = "No value at JSON path \"" + this.expression + "\", exception: ";
+		try {
+			return JsonPath.parse(content).read(this.expression, targetType);
+		}
+		catch (InvalidPathException | IndexOutOfBoundsException ex) {
+			throw new AssertionError(message + ex.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+
 	private Object assertExistsAndReturn(String content) throws ParseException {
 		Object value = evaluateJsonPath(content);
 		String reason = "No value at JSON path \"" + this.expression + "\"";
diff --git a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/client/match/JsonPathRequestMatchers.java b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/client/match/JsonPathRequestMatchers.java
index 2c3b7a99f9..1acb2c38e1 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/client/match/JsonPathRequestMatchers.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/client/match/JsonPathRequestMatchers.java
@@ -69,6 +69,22 @@ public class JsonPathRequestMatchers {
 		};
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * An overloaded variant of (@link {@link #value(Matcher)} that also
+	 * accepts a target type for the resulting value that the matcher can work
+	 * reliably against. This can be useful for matching numbers reliably for
+	 * example coercing an integer into a double.
+	 */
+	public <T> RequestMatcher value(final Matcher<T> matcher, final Class<T> targetType) {
+		return new AbstractJsonPathRequestMatcher() {
+			@Override
+			protected void matchInternal(MockClientHttpRequest request) throws IOException, ParseException {
+				String body = request.getBodyAsString();
+				JsonPathRequestMatchers.this.jsonPathHelper.assertValue(body, matcher, targetType);
+			}
+		};
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Evaluate the JSON path expression against the request content and
 	 * assert that the result is equal to the supplied value.
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests.java
index ba44e89487..e3b8d532fc 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2004-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2004-2016 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.rules.ExpectedException;
 
-import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.*;
+import static org.hamcrest.core.Is.is;
 
 /**
  * Unit tests for {@link JsonPathExpectationsHelper}.
@@ -222,11 +222,14 @@ public class JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests {
 		new JsonPathExpectationsHelper("$.num").assertValue(CONTENT, 5);
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	public void assertValueWithDifferentExpectedType() throws Exception {
-		exception.expect(AssertionError.class);
-		exception.expectMessage(equalTo("At JSON path \"$.num\", type of value expected:<java.lang.String> but was:<java.lang.Integer>"));
-		new JsonPathExpectationsHelper("$.num").assertValue(CONTENT, "5");
+	@Test // SPR-14498
+	public void assertValueWithNumberConversion() throws Exception {
+		new JsonPathExpectationsHelper("$.num").assertValue(CONTENT, 5.0);
+	}
+
+	@Test // SPR-14498
+	public void assertValueWithNumberConversionAndMatcher() throws Exception {
+		new JsonPathExpectationsHelper("$.num").assertValue(CONTENT, is(5.0), Double.class);
 	}
 
 	@Test