diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/DefaultTypeAdapters.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/DefaultTypeAdapters.java
index 53435c09..8249ff63 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/DefaultTypeAdapters.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/DefaultTypeAdapters.java
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ final class DefaultTypeAdapters {
   private static final FloatTypeAdapter FLOAT_TYPE_ADAPTER = new FloatTypeAdapter();
   private static final IntegerTypeAdapter INTEGER_TYPE_ADAPTER = new IntegerTypeAdapter();
   private static final LongTypeAdapter LONG_TYPE_ADAPTER = new LongTypeAdapter();
+  private static final NumberTypeAdapter NUMBER_TYPE_ADAPTER = new NumberTypeAdapter();
   private static final ShortTypeAdapter SHORT_TYPE_ADAPTER = new ShortTypeAdapter();
   private static final StringTypeAdapter STRING_TYPE_ADAPTER = new StringTypeAdapter();
 
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ final class DefaultTypeAdapters {
     map.register(int.class, INTEGER_TYPE_ADAPTER);
     map.register(Long.class, LONG_TYPE_ADAPTER);
     map.register(long.class, LONG_TYPE_ADAPTER);
+    map.register(Number.class, NUMBER_TYPE_ADAPTER);
     map.register(Short.class, SHORT_TYPE_ADAPTER);
     map.register(short.class, SHORT_TYPE_ADAPTER);
     map.register(String.class, STRING_TYPE_ADAPTER);
@@ -152,6 +154,7 @@ final class DefaultTypeAdapters {
     map.register(int.class, wrapDeserializer(INTEGER_TYPE_ADAPTER));
     map.register(Long.class, wrapDeserializer(LONG_TYPE_ADAPTER));
     map.register(long.class, wrapDeserializer(LONG_TYPE_ADAPTER));
+    map.register(Number.class, wrapDeserializer(NUMBER_TYPE_ADAPTER));
     map.register(Short.class, wrapDeserializer(SHORT_TYPE_ADAPTER));
     map.register(short.class, wrapDeserializer(SHORT_TYPE_ADAPTER));
     map.register(String.class, wrapDeserializer(STRING_TYPE_ADAPTER));
@@ -510,6 +513,23 @@ final class DefaultTypeAdapters {
       return BigIntegerTypeAdapter.class.getSimpleName();
     }
   }
+  
+  private static class NumberTypeAdapter
+      implements JsonSerializer<Number>, JsonDeserializer<Number> {
+    public JsonElement serialize(Number src, Type typeOfSrc, JsonSerializationContext context) {
+      return new JsonPrimitive(src);
+    }
+    
+    public Number deserialize(JsonElement json, Type typeOfT, JsonDeserializationContext context)
+        throws JsonParseException {
+      return json.getAsNumber();
+    }
+    
+    @Override
+    public String toString() {
+      return LongTypeAdapter.class.getSimpleName();
+    }
+  }
 
   private static class LongTypeAdapter
       implements InstanceCreator<Long>, JsonSerializer<Long>, JsonDeserializer<Long> {
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/PrimitiveTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/PrimitiveTest.java
index 1cc0e295..ef080ed4 100644
--- a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/PrimitiveTest.java
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/functional/PrimitiveTest.java
@@ -142,6 +142,27 @@ public class PrimitiveTest extends TestCase {
     value = gson.fromJson("[true]", boolean.class);
     assertEquals(true, value);
   }
+  
+  public void testNumberSerialization() {
+    Number expected = 1L;
+    String json = gson.toJson(expected);
+    assertEquals(expected.toString(), json);
+    
+    json = gson.toJson(expected, Number.class);
+    assertEquals(expected.toString(), json);
+  }
+  
+  public void testNumberDeserialization() {
+    String json = "1";
+    Number expected = new Integer(json);
+    Number actual = gson.fromJson(json, Number.class);
+    assertEquals(expected.intValue(), actual.intValue());
+    
+    json = String.valueOf(Long.MAX_VALUE);
+    expected = new Long(json);
+    actual = gson.fromJson(json, Number.class);
+    assertEquals(expected.longValue(), actual.longValue());
+  }
 
   public void testPrimitiveDoubleAutoboxedSerialization() {
     assertEquals("-122.08234335", gson.toJson(-122.08234335));