diff --git a/wp-includes/meta.php b/wp-includes/meta.php
index ac396a118b..d082c894f1 100644
--- a/wp-includes/meta.php
+++ b/wp-includes/meta.php
@@ -603,6 +603,30 @@ function get_meta_sql( $meta_query, $type, $primary_table, $primary_id_column, $
 	return $meta_query_obj->get_sql( $type, $primary_table, $primary_id_column, $context );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Given a meta type, return the appropriate alias if applicable
+ *
+ * @since 3.7.0
+ *
+ * @see WP_Meta_Query
+ *
+ * @param string $type MySQL type to cast meta_value
+ * @return string MySQL type
+ */
+function get_meta_type( $type = '' ) {
+	if ( empty( $type ) )
+		return 'CHAR';
+
+	$meta_type = strtoupper( $type );
+
+	if ( ! in_array( $meta_type, array( 'BINARY', 'CHAR', 'DATE', 'DATETIME', 'DECIMAL', 'SIGNED', 'TIME', 'UNSIGNED', 'NUMERIC' ) ) )
+		return 'CHAR';
+
+	if ( 'NUMERIC' == $meta_type )
+		$meta_type = 'SIGNED';
+
+	return $meta_type;
+}
 /**
  * Container class for a multiple metadata query
  *
@@ -744,12 +768,7 @@ class WP_Meta_Query {
 
 		foreach ( $queries as $k => $q ) {
 			$meta_key = isset( $q['key'] ) ? trim( $q['key'] ) : '';
-			$meta_type = isset( $q['type'] ) ? strtoupper( $q['type'] ) : 'CHAR';
-
-			if ( 'NUMERIC' == $meta_type )
-				$meta_type = 'SIGNED';
-			elseif ( ! in_array( $meta_type, array( 'BINARY', 'CHAR', 'DATE', 'DATETIME', 'DECIMAL', 'SIGNED', 'TIME', 'UNSIGNED' ) ) )
-				$meta_type = 'CHAR';
+			$meta_type = get_meta_type( isset( $q['type'] ) ? $q['type'] : '' );
 
 			$meta_value = isset( $q['value'] ) ? $q['value'] : null;
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/query.php b/wp-includes/query.php
index b19b3441e8..cf2f253a32 100644
--- a/wp-includes/query.php
+++ b/wp-includes/query.php
@@ -2420,7 +2420,12 @@ class WP_Query {
 						break;
 					case $q['meta_key']:
 					case 'meta_value':
-						$orderby = "$wpdb->postmeta.meta_value";
+						if ( isset( $q['meta_type'] ) ) {
+							$meta_type = get_meta_type( $q['meta_type'] );
+							$orderby = "CAST($wpdb->postmeta.meta_value AS {$meta_type})";
+						} else {
+							$orderby = "$wpdb->postmeta.meta_value";
+						}	
 						break;
 					case 'meta_value_num':
 						$orderby = "$wpdb->postmeta.meta_value+0";