diff --git a/src/topics/delete.js b/src/topics/delete.js
index e44e332a1a..e80a20ac75 100644
--- a/src/topics/delete.js
+++ b/src/topics/delete.js
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 						db.sortedSetAdd('topics:views', topicData.viewcount, tid, next);
 					},
 					function (next) {
-						db.sortedSetAdd('topics:votes', topicData.votes, tid, next);
+						db.sortedSetAdd('topics:votes', parseInt(topicData.votes, 10) || 0, tid, next);
 					},
 					function (next) {
 						async.waterfall([
diff --git a/src/topics/tools.js b/src/topics/tools.js
index 2ec4de624d..b28b8d12d4 100644
--- a/src/topics/tools.js
+++ b/src/topics/tools.js
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 								async.apply(db.sortedSetRemove, 'cid:' + topicData.cid + ':tids:pinned', tid),
 								async.apply(db.sortedSetAdd, 'cid:' + topicData.cid + ':tids', topicData.lastposttime, tid),
 								async.apply(db.sortedSetAdd, 'cid:' + topicData.cid + ':tids:posts', topicData.postcount, tid),
-								async.apply(db.sortedSetAdd, 'cid:' + topicData.cid + ':tids:votes', topicData.votes, tid),
+								async.apply(db.sortedSetAdd, 'cid:' + topicData.cid + ':tids:votes', parseInt(topicData.votes, 10) || 0, tid),
 							], next);
 						}
 					},