diff --git a/bin/deepstate/core/base.py b/bin/deepstate/core/base.py
index 4c3aa5e8..dde2c85d 100644
--- a/bin/deepstate/core/base.py
+++ b/bin/deepstate/core/base.py
@@ -179,13 +179,20 @@ def parse_args(cls) -> Optional[argparse.Namespace]:
       target_args_parsed.append((key, val))
     _args['target_args'] = target_args_parsed
 
-
-    # if configuration is specified, parse and replace argument instantiations
     if args.config:
       _args.update(cls.build_from_config(args.config)) # type: ignore
 
+      # Re-apply argparse types to values read from config, since configparser
+      # returns everything as strings (e.g. timeout="36000" instead of 36000).
+      for action in parser._actions:
+        if action.dest in _args and action.type is not None:
+          try:
+            _args[action.dest] = action.type(_args[action.dest])
+          except (ValueError, TypeError):
+            pass
+
       # Cleanup: force --no_exit_compile to be on, meaning if user specifies a `[test]` section,
-      # execution will continue. Delete config as well
+      # execution will continue. Delete config as well.
       _args["no_exit_compile"] = True # type: ignore
       del _args["config"]
 
@@ -200,7 +207,7 @@ def parse_args(cls) -> Optional[argparse.Namespace]:
       logger.setLevel(LOG_LEVEL_INT_TO_STR[_args["min_log_level"]])
     else:
       L.debug("Using log level from $DEEPSTATE_LOG.")
-      
+
     cls._ARGS = args
     return cls._ARGS
 
@@ -236,7 +243,8 @@ def build_from_config(config: str, allowed_keys: Optional[List[str]] = None, inc
       "test"        # configurations for harness execution under analysis tool
     ]
 
-    parser = configparser.SafeConfigParser()
+    # ConfigParser replaces the deprecated SafeConfigParser removed in Python 3.12
+    parser = configparser.ConfigParser()
     parser.read(config)
 
     for section, kv in parser._sections.items(): # type: ignore
@@ -264,7 +272,15 @@ def build_from_config(config: str, allowed_keys: Optional[List[str]] = None, inc
         if isinstance(val, list):
           _context[key].append(val)
         else:
-          _context[key] = val
+          # configparser returns all values as strings. Try casting to int
+          # then float, falling back to string for non-numeric values.
+          try:
+            _context[key] = int(val)
+          except (ValueError, TypeError):
+            try:
+              _context[key] = float(val)
+            except (ValueError, TypeError):
+              _context[key] = val
 
     return context # type: ignore
 
@@ -278,4 +294,4 @@ def init_from_dict(self, _args: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None) -> None:
     """
     args: Dict[str, str] = vars(self._ARGS) if _args is None else _args
     for key, value in args.items():
-      setattr(self, key, value)
+      setattr(self, key, value)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_config_types.py b/tests/test_config_types.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c2b4e091
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_config_types.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+from __future__ import print_function
+import configparser
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from deepstate.core.base import AnalysisBackend
+import deepstate_base
+
+
+INI_DATA = """
+[test]
+timeout = 36000
+mem_limit = 100
+min_log_level = 2
+float_value = 3.14
+output_test_dir = /tmp/deepstate_out
+"""
+
+
+def fake_read(self, *args, **kwargs):
+    self.read_string(INI_DATA)
+    return []
+
+class ConfigParseTest(deepstate_base.DeepStateTestCase):
+    def run_deepstate(self, deepstate):
+        # Not actually invoking deepstate, just reusing the test harness structure
+
+        with patch("deepstate.core.base.configparser.ConfigParser.read", fake_read):
+            result = AnalysisBackend.build_from_config("dummy_path")
+
+        self.assertIsInstance(result["timeout"], int)
+        self.assertIsInstance(result["mem_limit"], int)
+        self.assertIsInstance(result["min_log_level"], int)
+        self.assertIsInstance(result["float_value"], float)
+        self.assertIsInstance(result["output_test_dir"], str)
+
+        self.assertEqual(result["timeout"], 36000)
+        self.assertEqual(result["mem_limit"], 100)
+        self.assertEqual(result["min_log_level"], 2)
+        self.assertEqual(result["float_value"], 3.14)
+        self.assertEqual(result["output_test_dir"], "/tmp/deepstate_out")