diff --git a/src/parser_data.h b/src/parser_data.h
index d7fbe1815..ddb22781e 100644
--- a/src/parser_data.h
+++ b/src/parser_data.h
@@ -179,7 +179,10 @@ struct ly_in;
 #define LYD_PARSE_JSON_NULL 0x4000000       /**< Allow using JSON empty value 'null' within JSON input, such nodes are
                                                  silently skipped and treated as non-existent. By default, such values
                                                  are invalid. */
-
+#define LYD_PARSE_JSON_STRING_DATATYPES 0x8000000 /**< By default, JSON data values are expected to be in the correct
+                                                       format according to RFC 7951 based on their type. Using this
+                                                       option the validation can be softened to accept boolean and
+                                                       number type values enclosed in quotes. */
 #define LYD_PARSE_OPTS_MASK 0xFFFF0000      /**< Mask for all the LYD_PARSE_ options. */
 
 /** @} dataparseroptions */
diff --git a/src/parser_json.c b/src/parser_json.c
index 5c3171231..b4d54874e 100644
--- a/src/parser_json.c
+++ b/src/parser_json.c
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ lydjson_get_snode(struct lyd_json_ctx *lydctx, ly_bool is_attr, const char *pref
 /**
  * @brief Get the hint for the data type parsers according to the current JSON parser context.
  *
- * @param[in] jsonctx JSON parser context. The context is supposed to be on a value.
+ * @param[in] lydctx JSON data parser context.
  * @param[in,out] status Pointer to the current context status,
  * in some circumstances the function manipulates with the context so the status is updated.
  * @param[out] type_hint_p Pointer to the variable to store the result.
@@ -348,8 +348,10 @@ lydjson_get_snode(struct lyd_json_ctx *lydctx, ly_bool is_attr, const char *pref
  * @return LY_EINVAL in case of invalid context status not referring to a value.
  */
 static LY_ERR
-lydjson_value_type_hint(struct lyjson_ctx *jsonctx, enum LYJSON_PARSER_STATUS *status_p, uint32_t *type_hint_p)
+lydjson_value_type_hint(struct lyd_json_ctx *lydctx, enum LYJSON_PARSER_STATUS *status_p, uint32_t *type_hint_p)
 {
+    struct lyjson_ctx *jsonctx = lydctx->jsonctx;
+
     *type_hint_p = 0;
 
     if (*status_p == LYJSON_ARRAY) {
@@ -383,6 +385,10 @@ lydjson_value_type_hint(struct lyjson_ctx *jsonctx, enum LYJSON_PARSER_STATUS *s
         return LY_EINVAL;
     }
 
+    if (lydctx->parse_opts & LYD_PARSE_JSON_STRING_DATATYPES) {
+        *type_hint_p |= LYD_VALHINT_STRING_DATATYPES;
+    }
+
     return LY_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -391,15 +397,16 @@ lydjson_value_type_hint(struct lyjson_ctx *jsonctx, enum LYJSON_PARSER_STATUS *s
  *
  * Checks for all the list's keys. Function does not revert the context state.
  *
- * @param[in] jsonctx JSON parser context.
+ * @param[in] lydctx JSON data parser context.
  * @param[in] list List schema node corresponding to the input data object.
  * @return LY_SUCCESS in case the data are ok for the @p list
  * @return LY_ENOT in case the input data are not sufficient to fully parse the list instance.
  */
 static LY_ERR
-lydjson_check_list(struct lyjson_ctx *jsonctx, const struct lysc_node *list)
+lydjson_check_list(struct lyd_json_ctx *lydctx, const struct lysc_node *list)
 {
     LY_ERR rc = LY_SUCCESS;
+    struct lyjson_ctx *jsonctx = lydctx->jsonctx;
     enum LYJSON_PARSER_STATUS status = lyjson_ctx_status(jsonctx);
     struct ly_set key_set = {0};
     const struct lysc_node *snode;
@@ -451,7 +458,7 @@ lydjson_check_list(struct lyjson_ctx *jsonctx, const struct lysc_node *list)
                         goto cleanup;
                     }
 
-                    rc = lydjson_value_type_hint(jsonctx, &status, &hints);
+                    rc = lydjson_value_type_hint(lydctx, &status, &hints);
                     LY_CHECK_GOTO(rc, cleanup);
                     rc = ly_value_validate(NULL, snode, jsonctx->value, jsonctx->value_len, LY_VALUE_JSON, NULL, hints);
                     LY_CHECK_GOTO(rc, cleanup);
@@ -521,7 +528,7 @@ lydjson_data_check_opaq(struct lyd_json_ctx *lydctx, const struct lysc_node *sno
         case LYS_LEAFLIST:
         case LYS_LEAF:
             /* value may not be valid in which case we parse it as an opaque node */
-            if ((ret = lydjson_value_type_hint(jsonctx, &status, type_hint_p))) {
+            if ((ret = lydjson_value_type_hint(lydctx, &status, type_hint_p))) {
                 break;
             }
 
@@ -533,14 +540,14 @@ lydjson_data_check_opaq(struct lyd_json_ctx *lydctx, const struct lysc_node *sno
             break;
         case LYS_LIST:
             /* lists may not have all its keys */
-            if (lydjson_check_list(jsonctx, snode)) {
+            if (lydjson_check_list(lydctx, snode)) {
                 /* invalid list, parse as opaque if it misses/has invalid some keys */
                 ret = LY_ENOT;
             }
             break;
         }
     } else if (snode->nodetype & LYD_NODE_TERM) {
-        ret = lydjson_value_type_hint(jsonctx, &status, type_hint_p);
+        ret = lydjson_value_type_hint(lydctx, &status, type_hint_p);
     }
 
     /* restore parser */
@@ -852,7 +859,7 @@ lydjson_metadata(struct lyd_json_ctx *lydctx, const struct lysc_node *snode, str
         LY_CHECK_GOTO(rc = lyjson_ctx_next(lydctx->jsonctx, &status), cleanup);
 
         /* get value hints */
-        LY_CHECK_GOTO(rc = lydjson_value_type_hint(lydctx->jsonctx, &status, &val_hints), cleanup);
+        LY_CHECK_GOTO(rc = lydjson_value_type_hint(lydctx, &status, &val_hints), cleanup);
 
         if (node->schema) {
             /* create metadata */
@@ -981,7 +988,7 @@ lydjson_create_opaq(struct lyd_json_ctx *lydctx, const char *name, size_t name_l
         dynamic = lydctx->jsonctx->dynamic;
         lydctx->jsonctx->dynamic = 0;
 
-        LY_CHECK_RET(lydjson_value_type_hint(lydctx->jsonctx, status_inner_p, &type_hint));
+        LY_CHECK_RET(lydjson_value_type_hint(lydctx, status_inner_p, &type_hint));
     }
 
     /* get the module name */
diff --git a/src/plugins_types.c b/src/plugins_types.c
index d773a8a75..fb6f75a7e 100644
--- a/src/plugins_types.c
+++ b/src/plugins_types.c
@@ -685,7 +685,8 @@ lyplg_type_check_hints(uint32_t hints, const char *value, size_t value_len, LY_D
     case LY_TYPE_INT32:
         LY_CHECK_ARG_RET(NULL, base, LY_EINVAL);
 
-        if (!(hints & (LYD_VALHINT_DECNUM | LYD_VALHINT_OCTNUM | LYD_VALHINT_HEXNUM))) {
+        if (!(hints & (LYD_VALHINT_DECNUM | LYD_VALHINT_OCTNUM | LYD_VALHINT_HEXNUM)) &&
+                !(hints & LYD_VALHINT_STRING_DATATYPES)) {
             return ly_err_new(err, LY_EVALID, LYVE_DATA, NULL, NULL, "Invalid non-number-encoded %s value \"%.*s\".",
                     lys_datatype2str(type), (int)value_len, value);
         }
@@ -695,7 +696,8 @@ lyplg_type_check_hints(uint32_t hints, const char *value, size_t value_len, LY_D
     case LY_TYPE_INT64:
         LY_CHECK_ARG_RET(NULL, base, LY_EINVAL);
 
-        if (!(hints & LYD_VALHINT_NUM64)) {
+        if (!(hints & LYD_VALHINT_NUM64) &&
+                !(hints & LYD_VALHINT_STRING_DATATYPES)) {
             return ly_err_new(err, LY_EVALID, LYVE_DATA, NULL, NULL, "Invalid non-num64-encoded %s value \"%.*s\".",
                     lys_datatype2str(type), (int)value_len, value);
         }
@@ -714,7 +716,8 @@ lyplg_type_check_hints(uint32_t hints, const char *value, size_t value_len, LY_D
         }
         break;
     case LY_TYPE_BOOL:
-        if (!(hints & LYD_VALHINT_BOOLEAN)) {
+        if (!(hints & LYD_VALHINT_BOOLEAN) &&
+                !(hints & LYD_VALHINT_STRING_DATATYPES)) {
             return ly_err_new(err, LY_EVALID, LYVE_DATA, NULL, NULL, "Invalid non-boolean-encoded %s value \"%.*s\".",
                     lys_datatype2str(type), (int)value_len, value);
         }
diff --git a/src/tree_data.h b/src/tree_data.h
index 18bc6791b..ed362a198 100644
--- a/src/tree_data.h
+++ b/src/tree_data.h
@@ -944,6 +944,7 @@ struct lyd_node_any {
 #define LYD_VALHINT_NUM64      0x0010 /**< value is allowed to be an int64 or uint64 */
 #define LYD_VALHINT_BOOLEAN    0x0020 /**< value is allowed to be a boolean */
 #define LYD_VALHINT_EMPTY      0x0040 /**< value is allowed to be empty */
+#define LYD_VALHINT_STRING_DATATYPES 0x0080 /**< boolean and numeric fields are allowed to be quoted */
 /**
  * @} lydvalhints
  */
diff --git a/tests/utests/data/test_parser_json.c b/tests/utests/data/test_parser_json.c
index 1eff7819a..f752164c6 100644
--- a/tests/utests/data/test_parser_json.c
+++ b/tests/utests/data/test_parser_json.c
@@ -168,6 +168,21 @@ test_leaf(void **state)
     PARSER_CHECK_ERROR(data, 0, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, tree, LY_EVALID, "Invalid non-string-encoded string value \"\".", "/a:foo", 1);
     CHECK_PARSE_LYD(data, LYD_PARSE_JSON_NULL, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, tree);
     assert_null(tree);
+
+    /* validate integer in quotes errors out by default */
+    data = "{\"a:foo3\":\"1234\"}";
+    PARSER_CHECK_ERROR(data, LYD_PARSE_STRICT, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, tree, LY_EVALID,
+            "Invalid non-number-encoded uint32 value \"1234\".", "/a:foo3", 1);
+
+    /* validate integers are parsed correctly */
+    data = "{\"a:foo3\":1234}";
+    CHECK_PARSE_LYD(data, 0, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, tree);
+    lyd_free_all(tree);
+
+    /* validate LYD_PARSE_JSON_STRING_DATATYPES parser flag allows integers in quotes */
+    data = "{\"a:foo3\":\"1234\"}";
+    CHECK_PARSE_LYD(data, LYD_PARSE_JSON_STRING_DATATYPES, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, tree);
+    lyd_free_all(tree);
 }
 
 static void