diff --git a/addon/ajax-request.js b/addon/ajax-request.js
index f790e180..c89aa23a 100644
--- a/addon/ajax-request.js
+++ b/addon/ajax-request.js
@@ -505,7 +505,19 @@ export default class AjaxRequest {
    */
   normalizeErrorResponse(status, headers, payload) {
     if (payload && typeof payload === 'object' && payload.errors) {
-      return payload.errors;
+      if (!Ember.isArray(payload.errors)) {
+        return payload.errors;
+      }
+
+      return payload.errors.map(function(error) {
+        let ret = merge({}, error);
+
+        if (typeof ret.status === 'number') {
+          ret.status = `${ret.status}`;
+        }
+
+        return ret;
+      });
     } else {
       return [
         {
diff --git a/addon/errors.js b/addon/errors.js
index 7650fa35..3efe73ef 100644
--- a/addon/errors.js
+++ b/addon/errors.js
@@ -227,5 +227,6 @@ export function isServerError(error) {
  * @return {Boolean}
  */
 export function isSuccess(status) {
-  return status >= 200 && status < 300 || status === 304;
+  let s = parseInt(status, 10);
+  return s >= 200 && s < 300 || s === 304;
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/ajax-request-test.js b/tests/unit/ajax-request-test.js
index b04565b0..a1978be3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/ajax-request-test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/ajax-request-test.js
@@ -520,6 +520,44 @@ test('it creates a detailed error message for unmatched server errors with a tex
     });
 });
 
+test('it always returns error objects with status codes as strings', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(1);
+
+  const response = [404, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, ''];
+  server.get('/posts', () => response);
+
+  const service = new AjaxRequest();
+  return service.request('/posts')
+    .then(function() {
+      assert.ok(false, 'success handler should not be called');
+    })
+    .catch(function(result) {
+      assert.strictEqual(result.errors[0].status, '404', 'status must be a string');
+    });
+});
+
+test('it coerces payload error response status codes to strings', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(2);
+
+  const body = {
+    errors: [
+      { status: 403, message: 'Permission Denied' }
+    ]
+  };
+  const response = [403, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, JSON.stringify(body)];
+  server.get('/posts', () => response);
+
+  const service = new AjaxRequest();
+  return service.request('/posts')
+    .then(function() {
+      assert.ok(false, 'success handler should not be called');
+    })
+    .catch(function(result) {
+      assert.strictEqual(result.errors[0].status, '403', 'status must be a string');
+      assert.strictEqual(result.errors[0].message, 'Permission Denied');
+    });
+});
+
 test('it throws an error when the user tries to use `.get` to make a request', function(assert) {
   assert.expect(3);