diff --git a/swift/proxy/controllers/base.py b/swift/proxy/controllers/base.py
index b3af8e99a2..40a636e12b 100644
--- a/swift/proxy/controllers/base.py
+++ b/swift/proxy/controllers/base.py
@@ -387,7 +387,10 @@ class Controller(object):
                 container_count = 0
             else:
                 result_code = cache_value['status']
-                container_count = cache_value['container_count']
+                try:
+                    container_count = int(cache_value['container_count'])
+                except ValueError:
+                    container_count = 0
             if result_code == HTTP_OK:
                 return partition, nodes, container_count
             elif result_code == HTTP_NOT_FOUND and not autocreate:
@@ -456,7 +459,11 @@ class Controller(object):
                                   account_info,
                                   time=cache_timeout)
         if result_code == HTTP_OK:
-            return partition, nodes, account_info['container_count']
+            try:
+                container_count = int(account_info['container_count'])
+            except ValueError:
+                container_count = 0
+            return partition, nodes, container_count
         return None, None, None
 
     def container_info(self, account, container, account_autocreate=False):
diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py b/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
index 96cd3bda15..1ee6415425 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ def fake_http_connect(*code_iter, **kwargs):
                        'x-object-meta-test': 'testing',
                        'etag': etag,
                        'x-works': 'yes',
-                       'x-account-container-count': 12345}
+                       'x-account-container-count': kwargs.get('count', 12345)}
             if not self.timestamp:
                 del headers['x-timestamp']
             try:
@@ -445,6 +445,32 @@ class TestController(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(p, partition)
         self.assertEqual(n, nodes)
 
+    def test_account_info_container_count(self):
+        with save_globals():
+            set_http_connect(200, count=123)
+            partition, nodes, count = \
+                self.controller.account_info(self.account)
+            self.assertEquals(count, 123)
+        with save_globals():
+            set_http_connect(200, count='123')
+            partition, nodes, count = \
+                self.controller.account_info(self.account)
+            self.assertEquals(count, 123)
+        with save_globals():
+            cache_key = get_account_memcache_key(self.account)
+            account_info = {'status': 200, 'container_count': 1234}
+            self.memcache.set(cache_key, account_info)
+            partition, nodes, count = \
+                self.controller.account_info(self.account)
+            self.assertEquals(count, 1234)
+        with save_globals():
+            cache_key = get_account_memcache_key(self.account)
+            account_info = {'status': 200, 'container_count': '1234'}
+            self.memcache.set(cache_key, account_info)
+            partition, nodes, count = \
+                self.controller.account_info(self.account)
+            self.assertEquals(count, 1234)
+
     def test_make_requests(self):
         with save_globals():
             set_http_connect(200)