diff --git a/src/Protobuf.System.Text.Json/InternalConverters/FieldConverter.cs b/src/Protobuf.System.Text.Json/InternalConverters/FieldConverter.cs
index 10d2a98..8ded5c2 100644
--- a/src/Protobuf.System.Text.Json/InternalConverters/FieldConverter.cs
+++ b/src/Protobuf.System.Text.Json/InternalConverters/FieldConverter.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+using System.Buffers;
+using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Text.Json;
 using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
 using Google.Protobuf;
@@ -8,6 +10,15 @@ namespace Protobuf.System.Text.Json.InternalConverters;
 internal class FieldConverter<T> : InternalConverter
 {
     private JsonConverter<T>? _converter;
+    private readonly bool _isConverterForNumberType;
+    
+    public FieldConverter()
+    {
+        var type = typeof(T);
+        type = Nullable.GetUnderlyingType(type) ?? type;
+        var typeCode = Type.GetTypeCode(type);
+        _isConverterForNumberType = typeCode is >= TypeCode.SByte and <= TypeCode.Decimal;
+    }
 
     public override void Write(Utf8JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializerOptions options)
     {
@@ -23,14 +34,22 @@ public override void Read(ref Utf8JsonReader reader, IMessage obj, Type typeToCo
         {
             return;
         }
-        
-        var read = _converter.Read(ref reader, typeToConvert, options);
-        if (read is { } value)
+
+        if (_isConverterForNumberType && reader.TokenType == JsonTokenType.String && (JsonNumberHandling.AllowReadingFromString & options.NumberHandling) != 0)
         {
+            var value = Convert.ChangeType(reader.GetString(), typeToConvert);
             fieldAccessor.SetValue(obj, value);
         }
+        else
+        {
+            var read = _converter.Read(ref reader, typeToConvert, options);
+            if (read is { } value)
+            {
+                fieldAccessor.SetValue(obj, value);
+            }
+        }
     }
-    
+
     private static JsonConverter<T> GetConverter(ref JsonSerializerOptions options)
     {
         var converter = options.GetConverter(typeof(T));
diff --git a/test/Protobuf.System.Text.Json.Tests/JsonNumberHandlingTests.cs b/test/Protobuf.System.Text.Json.Tests/JsonNumberHandlingTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc653a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Protobuf.System.Text.Json.Tests/JsonNumberHandlingTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+using System.Text.Json;
+using System.Text.Json.Protobuf.Tests;
+using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
+using Protobuf.System.Text.Json.Tests.Utils;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Protobuf.System.Text.Json.Tests;
+
+public class JsonNumberHandlingTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void Should_deserialize_numbers_as_strings_when_NumberHandling_set_to_AllowReadingFromString()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var json =
+        """
+        {
+          "doubleProperty" : "0.12",
+          "floatProperty" : "7.89",
+          "int32Property" : "123",
+          "int64Property" : "456",
+          "uint32Property" : "789",
+          "uint64Property" : "101112",
+          "sint32Property" : "1314",
+          "sint64Property" : "151617",
+          "fixed32Property" : "1819",
+          "fixed64Property" : "202122",
+          "sfixed32Property" : "2324",
+          "sfixed64Property" : "252627"
+        }
+        """;
+        
+        var options = TestHelper.CreateJsonSerializerOptions();
+        options.NumberHandling = JsonNumberHandling.AllowReadingFromString;
+
+        // Act
+        var deserialized = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<SimpleMessage>(json, options);
+
+        // Assert
+        Assert.NotNull(deserialized);
+        Assert.Equal(0.12d, deserialized.DoubleProperty);
+        Assert.Equal(7.89f, deserialized.FloatProperty);
+        Assert.Equal(123, deserialized.Int32Property);
+        Assert.Equal(456L, deserialized.Int64Property);
+        Assert.Equal(789u, deserialized.Uint32Property);
+        Assert.Equal(101112ul, deserialized.Uint64Property);
+        Assert.Equal(1314, deserialized.Sint32Property);
+        Assert.Equal(151617L, deserialized.Sint64Property);
+        Assert.Equal(1819u, deserialized.Fixed32Property);
+        Assert.Equal(202122ul, deserialized.Fixed64Property);
+        Assert.Equal(2324, deserialized.Sfixed32Property);
+        Assert.Equal(252627L, deserialized.Sfixed64Property);
+    }
+    
+    [Fact]
+    public void Should_fail_deserializing_numbers_as_strings_when_NumberHandling_not_set_to_AllowReadingFromString()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var json =
+        """
+        {
+          "doubleProperty" : "0.12",
+          "floatProperty" : "7.89",
+          "int32Property" : "123",
+          "int64Property" : "456",
+          "uint32Property" : "789",
+          "uint64Property" : "101112",
+          "sint32Property" : "1314",
+          "sint64Property" : "151617",
+          "fixed32Property" : "1819",
+          "fixed64Property" : "202122",
+          "sfixed32Property" : "2324",
+          "sfixed64Property" : "252627"
+        }
+        """;
+
+        var options = TestHelper.CreateJsonSerializerOptions();
+        // Explicitly disable reading numbers from strings
+        options.NumberHandling = JsonNumberHandling.Strict;
+
+        // Act & Assert
+        Assert.Throws<JsonException>(() => JsonSerializer.Deserialize<SimpleMessage>(json, options));
+    }
+}
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