diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisKeyValueAdapter.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisKeyValueAdapter.java
index 4563b9467..4029f8de3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisKeyValueAdapter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisKeyValueAdapter.java
@@ -605,9 +605,9 @@ public class RedisKeyValueAdapter extends AbstractKeyValueAdapter
 				}
 			});
 
-			if (timeout != null || (timeout == null && !ttlProperty.getType().isPrimitive())) {
+			if (timeout != null || !ttlProperty.getType().isPrimitive()) {
 				entity.getPropertyAccessor(target).setProperty(ttlProperty,
-						NumberUtils.convertNumberToTargetClass(timeout, (Class) ttlProperty.getType()));
+						converter.getConversionService().convert(timeout, ttlProperty.getType()));
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/mapping/RedisMappingContext.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/mapping/RedisMappingContext.java
index f4c333fd2..886a7ba17 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/mapping/RedisMappingContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/mapping/RedisMappingContext.java
@@ -282,9 +282,9 @@ public class RedisMappingContext extends KeyValueMappingContext {
 			} else if (ttlProperty != null) {
 
 				RedisPersistentEntity entity = mappingContext.getPersistentEntity(type);
-				Long timeout = (Long) entity.getPropertyAccessor(source).getProperty(ttlProperty);
+				Number timeout = (Number) entity.getPropertyAccessor(source).getProperty(ttlProperty);
 				if (timeout != null) {
-					return TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert(timeout, unit);
+					return TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert(timeout.longValue(), unit);
 				}
 
 			} else {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/mapping/RedisPersistentEntity.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/mapping/RedisPersistentEntity.java
index eaac9807b..1997c0df2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/mapping/RedisPersistentEntity.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/mapping/RedisPersistentEntity.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2015-2016 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public interface RedisPersistentEntity<T> extends KeyValuePersistentEntity<T> {
 	boolean hasExplictTimeToLiveProperty();
 
 	/**
-	 * Get the {@link PersistentProperty}
+	 * Get the {@link PersistentProperty} that is annotated with {@link org.springframework.data.redis.core.TimeToLive}.
 	 *
 	 * @return can be {@null}.
 	 * @since 1.8
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisKeyValueTemplateTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisKeyValueTemplateTests.java
index 7d79b2bf6..897de3fac 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisKeyValueTemplateTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisKeyValueTemplateTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2015-2016 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ import lombok.Data;
 import lombok.EqualsAndHashCode;
 
 /**
+ * Integration tests for {@link RedisKeyValueTemplate}.
+ *
  * @author Christoph Strobl
+ * @author Mark Paluch
  */
 @RunWith(Parameterized.class)
 public class RedisKeyValueTemplateTests {
@@ -887,6 +890,25 @@ public class RedisKeyValueTemplateTests {
 		assertThat(target.ttl.doubleValue(), is(closeTo(3D, 1D)));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAREDIS-523
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void shouldReadBackExplicitTimeToLiveToPrimitiveField() throws InterruptedException {
+
+		WithPrimitiveTtl source = new WithPrimitiveTtl();
+		source.id = "ttl-1";
+		source.ttl = 5;
+		source.value = "5 seconds";
+
+		template.insert(source);
+
+		Thread.sleep(1100);
+
+		WithPrimitiveTtl target = template.findById(source.id, WithPrimitiveTtl.class);
+		assertThat((double) target.ttl, is(closeTo(3D, 1D)));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @see DATAREDIS-523
 	 */
@@ -1049,4 +1071,12 @@ public class RedisKeyValueTemplateTests {
 		String value;
 		@TimeToLive Long ttl;
 	}
+
+	@Data
+	static class WithPrimitiveTtl {
+
+		@Id String id;
+		String value;
+		@TimeToLive int ttl;
+	}
 }