diff --git a/spring-test-mvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelper.java b/spring-test-mvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelper.java
index 054e3b18c9..87608730ad 100644
--- a/spring-test-mvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelper.java
+++ b/spring-test-mvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelper.java
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
 package org.springframework.test.util;
 
 import static org.springframework.test.util.AssertionErrors.assertEquals;
-import static org.springframework.test.util.AssertionErrors.*;
+import static org.springframework.test.util.AssertionErrors.assertTrue;
+import static org.springframework.test.util.AssertionErrors.fail;
 import static org.springframework.test.util.MatcherAssertionErrors.assertThat;
 
 import java.text.ParseException;
@@ -96,6 +97,10 @@ public class JsonPathExpectationsHelper {
 			}
 			actualValue = actualValueList.get(0);
 		}
+		else if (actualValue != null && expectedValue != null) {
+			assertEquals("For JSON path " + this.expression + " type of value",
+					expectedValue.getClass(), actualValue.getClass());
+		}
 		assertEquals("JSON path" + this.expression, expectedValue, actualValue);
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-test-mvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests.java b/spring-test-mvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b3f42091ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-test-mvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/util/JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2004-2013 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.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.test.util;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+
+/**
+ * Test fixture for {@link JsonPathExpectationsHelper}.
+ *
+ * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
+ */
+public class JsonPathExpectationsHelperTests {
+
+
+	@Test
+	public void test() throws Exception {
+		try {
+			new JsonPathExpectationsHelper("$.nr").assertValue("{ \"nr\" : 5 }", "5");
+			fail("Expected exception");
+		}
+		catch (AssertionError ex) {
+			assertEquals("For JSON path $.nr type of value expected:<class java.lang.String> but was:<class java.lang.Integer>",
+					ex.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+
+}