diff --git a/config/models.php b/config/models.php
index 5f97d5bf..0ca42468 100644
--- a/config/models.php
+++ b/config/models.php
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@
         // 'soft_deletes' => [
         //     'enabled' => true,
         //     'field' => 'deleted_at',
+        //     'field_as_string' => true,
         // ],
 
         /*
diff --git a/src/Coders/Model/Model.php b/src/Coders/Model/Model.php
index 25c03849..6f6bc7e5 100644
--- a/src/Coders/Model/Model.php
+++ b/src/Coders/Model/Model.php
@@ -112,6 +112,11 @@ class Model
      */
     protected $DELETED_AT;
 
+    /**
+     * @var bool
+     */
+    protected $softDeletesFieldAsString = true;
+
     /**
      * @var bool
      */
@@ -193,6 +198,7 @@ protected function configure()
         // Soft deletes settings
         $this->withSoftDeletes($this->config('soft_deletes.enabled', $this->config('soft_deletes', false)));
         $this->withDeletedAtField($this->config('soft_deletes.field', $this->getDefaultDeletedAtField()));
+        $this->withSoftDeletesFieldAsString($this->config('soft_deletes.field_as_string', true));
 
         // Connection settings
         $this->withConnection($this->config('connection', false));
@@ -255,8 +261,8 @@ protected function parseColumn(Fluent $column)
         $propertyName = $this->usesPropertyConstants() ? 'self::'.strtoupper($column->name) : $column->name;
 
         // Due to some casting problems when converting null to a Carbon instance,
-        // we are going to treat Soft Deletes field as string.
-        if ($column->name == $this->getDeletedAtField()) {
+        // by default, we are going to treat Soft Deletes field as string.
+        if ($column->name == $this->getDeletedAtField() && $this->softDeletesFieldAsString) {
             $cast = 'string';
         }
 
@@ -657,6 +663,18 @@ public function withDeletedAtField($field)
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param string $field
+     *
+     * @return $this
+     */
+    public function withSoftDeletesFieldAsString($softDeletesFieldAsString)
+    {
+        $this->softDeletesFieldAsString = $softDeletesFieldAsString;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return string
      */