diff --git a/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/AvroDeserializer.java b/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/AvroDeserializer.java
index ecfe15f59dac..7d535695a2af 100644
--- a/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/AvroDeserializer.java
+++ b/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/AvroDeserializer.java
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ private Object deserializePrimitive(Object datum, Schema fileSchema, Schema reco
 
       int scale = 0;
       try {
-        scale = fileSchema.getJsonProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_SCALE).asInt();
+        scale = AvroSerdeUtils.getIntFromSchema(fileSchema, AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_SCALE);
       } catch(Exception ex) {
         throw new AvroSerdeException("Failed to obtain scale value from file schema: " + fileSchema, ex);
       }
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ private Object deserializePrimitive(Object datum, Schema fileSchema, Schema reco
 
       int maxLength = 0;
       try {
-        maxLength = fileSchema.getJsonProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_MAX_LENGTH).getValueAsInt();
+        maxLength = AvroSerdeUtils.getIntFromSchema(fileSchema, AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_MAX_LENGTH);
       } catch (Exception ex) {
         throw new AvroSerdeException("Failed to obtain maxLength value for char field from file schema: " + fileSchema, ex);
       }
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ private Object deserializePrimitive(Object datum, Schema fileSchema, Schema reco
 
       maxLength = 0;
       try {
-        maxLength = fileSchema.getJsonProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_MAX_LENGTH).getValueAsInt();
+        maxLength = AvroSerdeUtils.getIntFromSchema(fileSchema, AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_MAX_LENGTH);
       } catch (Exception ex) {
         throw new AvroSerdeException("Failed to obtain maxLength value for varchar field from file schema: " + fileSchema, ex);
       }
diff --git a/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/AvroSerdeUtils.java b/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/AvroSerdeUtils.java
index 391a300549d8..79d31c71b0fd 100644
--- a/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/AvroSerdeUtils.java
+++ b/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/AvroSerdeUtils.java
@@ -309,6 +309,18 @@ public static Schema getSchemaFor(URL url) {
     }
   }
 
+  public static int getIntFromSchema(Schema schema, String name) {
+    Object obj = schema.getObjectProp(name);
+    if (obj instanceof String) {
+      return Integer.parseInt((String) obj);
+    } else if (obj instanceof Integer) {
+      return (int) obj;
+    } else {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Expect integer or string value from property " + name
+        + " but found type " + obj.getClass().getName());
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Called on specific alter table events, removes schema url and schema literal from given tblproperties
    * After the change, HMS solely will be responsible for handling the schema
diff --git a/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/SchemaToTypeInfo.java b/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/SchemaToTypeInfo.java
index 35d83bdb1af0..5557a6a185f0 100644
--- a/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/SchemaToTypeInfo.java
+++ b/serde/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/serde2/avro/SchemaToTypeInfo.java
@@ -136,8 +136,14 @@ public static TypeInfo generateTypeInfo(Schema schema,
       int precision = 0;
       int scale = 0;
       try {
-        precision = schema.getJsonProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_PRECISION).getIntValue();
-        scale = schema.getJsonProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_SCALE).getIntValue();
+        Object o = schema.getObjectProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_PRECISION);
+        if (o instanceof Integer) {
+          precision = (int) o;
+        }
+        o = schema.getObjectProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_SCALE);
+        if (o instanceof Integer) {
+          scale = (int) o;
+        }
       } catch (Exception ex) {
         throw new AvroSerdeException("Failed to obtain scale value from file schema: " + schema, ex);
       }
@@ -155,7 +161,7 @@ public static TypeInfo generateTypeInfo(Schema schema,
       AvroSerDe.CHAR_TYPE_NAME.equalsIgnoreCase(schema.getProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_LOGICAL_TYPE))) {
       int maxLength = 0;
       try {
-        maxLength = schema.getJsonProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_MAX_LENGTH).getValueAsInt();
+        maxLength = AvroSerdeUtils.getIntFromSchema(schema, AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_MAX_LENGTH);
       } catch (Exception ex) {
         throw new AvroSerdeException("Failed to obtain maxLength value from file schema: " + schema, ex);
       }
@@ -166,7 +172,7 @@ public static TypeInfo generateTypeInfo(Schema schema,
       .equalsIgnoreCase(schema.getProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_LOGICAL_TYPE))) {
       int maxLength = 0;
       try {
-        maxLength = schema.getJsonProp(AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_MAX_LENGTH).getValueAsInt();
+        maxLength = AvroSerdeUtils.getIntFromSchema(schema, AvroSerDe.AVRO_PROP_MAX_LENGTH);
       } catch (Exception ex) {
         throw new AvroSerdeException("Failed to obtain maxLength value from file schema: " + schema, ex);
       }