diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 660846b..5ce5223 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ The CKAN harvesters support a number of configuration options to control their
 behaviour. Those need to be defined as a JSON object in the configuration form
 field. The currently supported configuration options are:
 
-*   api_version: You can force the harvester to use either version '1' or '2' of
-    the CKAN API. Default is '2'.
+*   api_version: You can force the harvester to use either version 1 or 2 of
+    the CKAN API. Default is 2.
 
 *   default_tags: A list of tags that will be added to all harvested datasets.
     Tags don't need to previously exist.
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ Here is an example of a configuration object (the one that must be entered in
 the configuration field)::
 
     {
-     "api_version":"1",
+     "api_version": 1,
      "default_tags":["new-tag-1","new-tag-2"],
      "default_groups":["my-own-group"],
      "default_extras":{"new_extra":"Test","harvest_url":"{harvest_source_url}/dataset/{dataset_id}"},
diff --git a/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/base.py b/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/base.py
index 9a6a9df..f14c250 100644
--- a/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/base.py
+++ b/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/base.py
@@ -130,11 +130,11 @@ class HarvesterBase(SingletonPlugin):
 
             # Check API version
             if self.config:
-                api_version = self.config.get('api_version','2')
+                api_version = int(self.config.get('api_version', 2))
                 #TODO: use site user when available
-                user_name = self.config.get('user',u'harvest')
+                user_name = self.config.get('user', u'harvest')
             else:
-                api_version = '2'
+                api_version = 2
                 user_name = u'harvest'
 
             context = {
diff --git a/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/ckanharvester.py b/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/ckanharvester.py
index 3920cf7..214fc04 100644
--- a/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/ckanharvester.py
+++ b/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/ckanharvester.py
@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@ class CKANHarvester(HarvesterBase):
     '''
     config = None
 
-    api_version = '2'
+    api_version = 2
 
     def _get_rest_api_offset(self):
-        return '/api/%s/rest' % self.api_version
+        return '/api/%d/rest' % self.api_version
 
     def _get_search_api_offset(self):
-        return '/api/%s/search' % self.api_version
+        return '/api/%d/search' % self.api_version
 
     def _get_content(self, url):
         http_request = urllib2.Request(
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class CKANHarvester(HarvesterBase):
             self.config = json.loads(config_str)
 
             if 'api_version' in self.config:
-                self.api_version = self.config['api_version']
+                self.api_version = int(self.config['api_version'])
 
             log.debug('Using config: %r', self.config)
         else:
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ class CKANHarvester(HarvesterBase):
                     try:
                         data_dict = {'id': group_name}
                         group = get_action('group_show')(context, data_dict)
-                        if self.api_version == '1':
+                        if self.api_version == 1:
                             validated_groups.append(group['name'])
                         else:
                             validated_groups.append(group['id'])