diff --git a/atom/browser/web_contents_preferences.cc b/atom/browser/web_contents_preferences.cc
index 5afa3070f06f..1182e2859fc3 100644
--- a/atom/browser/web_contents_preferences.cc
+++ b/atom/browser/web_contents_preferences.cc
@@ -254,15 +254,28 @@ void WebContentsPreferences::OverrideWebkitPrefs(
       prefs->fantasy_font_family_map[content::kCommonScript] = font;
   }
   int size;
-  if (self->web_preferences_.GetInteger("defaultFontSize", &size))
+  if (self->GetInteger("defaultFontSize", &size))
     prefs->default_font_size = size;
-  if (self->web_preferences_.GetInteger("defaultMonospaceFontSize", &size))
+  if (self->GetInteger("defaultMonospaceFontSize", &size))
     prefs->default_fixed_font_size = size;
-  if (self->web_preferences_.GetInteger("minimumFontSize", &size))
+  if (self->GetInteger("minimumFontSize", &size))
     prefs->minimum_font_size = size;
   std::string encoding;
   if (self->web_preferences_.GetString("defaultEncoding", &encoding))
     prefs->default_encoding = encoding;
 }
 
+bool WebContentsPreferences::GetInteger(const std::string& attributeName,
+                                        int* intValue) {
+  // if it is already an integer, no conversion needed
+  if (web_preferences_.GetInteger(attributeName, intValue))
+    return true;
+
+  base::string16 stringValue;
+  if (web_preferences_.GetString(attributeName, &stringValue))
+    return base::StringToInt(stringValue, intValue);
+
+  return false;
+}
+
 }  // namespace atom
diff --git a/atom/browser/web_contents_preferences.h b/atom/browser/web_contents_preferences.h
index 3a04ea9eea0b..f6e44c51b10a 100644
--- a/atom/browser/web_contents_preferences.h
+++ b/atom/browser/web_contents_preferences.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #ifndef ATOM_BROWSER_WEB_CONTENTS_PREFERENCES_H_
 #define ATOM_BROWSER_WEB_CONTENTS_PREFERENCES_H_
 
+#include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "base/values.h"
@@ -60,6 +61,9 @@ class WebContentsPreferences
   content::WebContents* web_contents_;
   base::DictionaryValue web_preferences_;
 
+  // Get preferences value as integer possibly coercing it from a string
+  bool GetInteger(const std::string& attributeName, int* intValue);
+
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(WebContentsPreferences);
 };