diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/spi/mapper/JsonSmartMappingProvider.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/spi/mapper/JsonSmartMappingProvider.java
index 6ba6ee45..5d402080 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/spi/mapper/JsonSmartMappingProvider.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/spi/mapper/JsonSmartMappingProvider.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import net.minidev.json.writer.JsonReader;
 import net.minidev.json.writer.JsonReaderI;
 
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
+import java.math.BigInteger;
 import java.text.DateFormat;
 import java.text.ParseException;
 import java.util.Date;
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ public class JsonSmartMappingProvider implements MappingProvider {
         DEFAULT.registerReader(BigDecimal.class, new BigDecimalReader());
         DEFAULT.registerReader(String.class, new StringReader());
         DEFAULT.registerReader(Date.class, new DateReader());
+        DEFAULT.registerReader(BigInteger.class, new BigIntegerReader());
     }
 
 
@@ -150,6 +152,7 @@ public class JsonSmartMappingProvider implements MappingProvider {
             throw new MappingException("can not map a " + src.getClass() + " to " + Long.class.getName());
         }
     }
+
     private static class DoubleReader extends JsonReaderI<Double> {
         public DoubleReader() {
             super(null);
@@ -209,6 +212,17 @@ public class JsonSmartMappingProvider implements MappingProvider {
             return new BigDecimal(src.toString());
         }
     }
+    private static class BigIntegerReader extends JsonReaderI<BigInteger> {
+        public BigIntegerReader() {
+            super(null);
+        }
+        public BigInteger convert(Object src) {
+            if(src == null){
+                return null;
+            }
+            return new BigInteger(src.toString());
+        }
+    }
     private static class DateReader extends JsonReaderI<Date> {
         public DateReader() {
             super(null);
diff --git a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/MapperTest.java b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/MapperTest.java
index 023ccc68..3407a88d 100644
--- a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/MapperTest.java
+++ b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/MapperTest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package com.jayway.jsonpath;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import java.math.BigDecimal;
+import java.math.BigInteger;
 import java.util.Date;
 
 import static com.jayway.jsonpath.JsonPath.parse;
@@ -41,5 +43,13 @@ public class MapperTest extends BaseTest {
         assertThat(parse("{\"val\": "+now.getTime()+"}").read("val", Date.class)).isEqualTo(now);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void a_String_can_be_converted_to_a_BigInteger() {
+        assertThat(parse("{\"val\": \"1\"}").read("val", BigInteger.class)).isEqualTo(BigInteger.valueOf(1));
+    }
 
+    @Test
+    public void a_String_can_be_converted_to_a_BigDecimal() {
+        assertThat(parse("{\"val\": \"1.5\"}").read("val", BigDecimal.class)).isEqualTo(BigDecimal.valueOf(1.5d));
+    }
 }