diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 56301316..b306c621 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # CHANGELOG.md
 
-## unreleased
+## 0.16.1
 
+ - fix a bug where setting a variable to a non-string value would always set it to null
  - clearer debug logs (https://github.com/wooorm/markdown-rs/pull/92)
  - update compiler to rust 1.74
  - use user id and group id 1000 in docker image (this is the default user id in most linux distributions)
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 5760d1bd..24e54069 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2269,7 +2269,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "sqlpage"
-version = "0.16.0"
+version = "0.16.1"
 dependencies = [
  "actix-rt",
  "actix-web",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index b1433b2a..10819825 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "sqlpage"
-version = "0.16.0"
+version = "0.16.1"
 edition = "2021"
 description = "A SQL-only web application framework. Takes .sql files and formats the query result using pre-made configurable professional-looking components."
 keywords = ["web", "sql", "framework"]
diff --git a/src/webserver/database/execute_queries.rs b/src/webserver/database/execute_queries.rs
index 6dffa36b..366c11a7 100644
--- a/src/webserver/database/execute_queries.rs
+++ b/src/webserver/database/execute_queries.rs
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 
 use super::sql::{ParsedSqlFile, ParsedStatement, StmtWithParams};
 use crate::webserver::database::sql_pseudofunctions::extract_req_param;
+use crate::webserver::database::sql_to_json::row_to_string;
 use crate::webserver::http::{RequestInfo, SingleOrVec};
 
 use sqlx::any::{AnyArguments, AnyQueryResult, AnyRow, AnyStatement, AnyTypeInfo};
 use sqlx::pool::PoolConnection;
-use sqlx::{Any, AnyConnection, Arguments, Either, Executor, Row, Statement};
+use sqlx::{Any, AnyConnection, Arguments, Either, Executor, Statement};
 
 use super::sql_pseudofunctions::StmtParam;
 use super::{highlight_sql_error, Database, DbItem};
@@ -54,8 +55,7 @@ pub fn stream_query_results<'a>(
                     let query = bind_parameters(value, request).await?;
                     let connection = take_connection(db, &mut connection_opt).await?;
                     log::debug!("Executing query to set the {variable:?} variable: {:?}", query.sql);
-                    let value: Option<String> = connection.fetch_optional(query).await?
-                        .and_then(|row| row.try_get::<Option<String>, _>(0).ok().flatten());
+                    let value: Option<String> = connection.fetch_optional(query).await?.as_ref().and_then(row_to_string);
                     let (vars, name) = vars_and_name(request, variable)?;
                     if let Some(value) = value {
                         log::debug!("Setting variable {name} to {value:?}");
diff --git a/src/webserver/database/sql_to_json.rs b/src/webserver/database/sql_to_json.rs
index 15ad8e89..070d979b 100644
--- a/src/webserver/database/sql_to_json.rs
+++ b/src/webserver/database/sql_to_json.rs
@@ -99,6 +99,16 @@ pub fn sql_nonnull_to_json<'r>(mut get_ref: impl FnMut() -> sqlx::any::AnyValueR
     }
 }
 
+/// Takes the first column of a row and converts it to a string.
+pub fn row_to_string(row: &AnyRow) -> Option<String> {
+    let col = row.columns().get(0)?;
+    match sql_to_json(row, col) {
+        serde_json::Value::String(s) => Some(s),
+        serde_json::Value::Null => None,
+        other => Some(other.to_string()),
+    }
+}
+
 #[actix_web::test]
 async fn test_row_to_json() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     use sqlx::Connection;
diff --git a/tests/sql_test_files/it_works_set_variable_numeric.sql b/tests/sql_test_files/it_works_set_variable_numeric.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae392824
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/sql_test_files/it_works_set_variable_numeric.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+set two = 2;
+select 'text' as component,
+    CASE
+        WHEN $two = '2' -- All variables are strings
+        THEN
+            'It works !'
+        ELSE
+            'error: expected "2", got: ' || COALESCE($two, 'null')
+    END as contents;