diff --git a/petsctools/options.py b/petsctools/options.py
index a7695f2..fe61931 100644
--- a/petsctools/options.py
+++ b/petsctools/options.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import builtins
 import contextlib
 import functools
 import itertools
@@ -274,8 +275,10 @@ def custom_prefixes(self):
                      for ending in self.custom_prefix_endings)
 
 
-def get_default_options(default_options_set: DefaultOptionSet,
-                        options: petsc4py.PETSc.Options | None = None) -> dict:
+def get_default_options(
+    default_options_set: DefaultOptionSet,
+    options: Options | petsc4py.PETSc.Options | None = None,
+) -> dict:
     """
     Extract default options for subsolvers with similar prefixes.
 
@@ -284,7 +287,7 @@ def get_default_options(default_options_set: DefaultOptionSet,
     default_options_set
         The :class:`DefaultOptionSet` which defines the shared options.
     options
-        The ``PETSc.Options`` database to use. If not provided then the global
+        The options database to use. If not provided then the global
         database will be used.
 
     Returns
@@ -296,8 +299,7 @@ def get_default_options(default_options_set: DefaultOptionSet,
     DefaultOptionSet
     """
     if options is None:
-        from petsc4py import PETSc
-        options = PETSc.Options()
+        options = Options()
 
     base_prefix = default_options_set.base_prefix
     custom_prefixes = default_options_set.custom_prefixes
@@ -622,6 +624,14 @@ def options_object(self):
         return PETSc.Options()
 
 
+_option_types = {}
+"""Mapping from options names to the type of the stored value.
+
+This allows us to cast the retrieved object back to the right type.
+
+"""
+
+
 _global_appctx_data = {}
 """The global storage for user data with arbitrary python types."""
 
@@ -1084,12 +1094,37 @@ def __getitem__(self, option: str | AppContextKey, /) -> Any:
             If the ``Options`` does not contain a value for ``option``.
         """
         # might raise a KeyError, which we want
-        value = super().__getitem__(option)
-        if isinstance(value, str) and value.startswith(_APPCTX_KEY_PREFIX):
+        value: str = super().__getitem__(option)
+
+        if value.startswith(_APPCTX_KEY_PREFIX):
             return _global_appctx_data[value]
-        else:
+
+        # A native type, try to perform a cast
+        try:
+            opt_type = _option_types[f"{self.prefix or ''}{option}"]
+        except KeyError:
+            # Option was not inserted using petsctools.Options, can't
+            # do anything more
             return value
 
+        match opt_type:
+            case builtins.str:
+                pass
+            case builtins.int:
+                value = int(value)
+            case builtins.float:
+                value = float(value)
+            case builtins.bool:
+                if value == "true":
+                    value = True
+                else:
+                    assert value == "false"
+                    value = False
+            case types.NoneType:
+                assert value == ""
+                value = None
+        return value
+
     def __setitem__(self, option: str | AppContextKey, value: Any, /) -> None:
         """Insert an option into the database.
 
@@ -1107,6 +1142,10 @@ def __setitem__(self, option: str | AppContextKey, value: Any, /) -> None:
             value_id = AppContextKey._generate_key()
             _global_appctx_data[value_id] = value
             value = value_id
+
+        # Save the type of value so we can cast to it in __getitem__
+        _option_types[f"{self.prefix or ''}{option}"] = type(value)
+
         super().__setitem__(option, value)
 
     def __delitem__(self, option: str | AppContextKey, /) -> None:
@@ -1130,6 +1169,8 @@ def __delitem__(self, option: str | AppContextKey, /) -> None:
         if not isinstance(value, _native_petsc_option_types):
             value_id = super().__getitem__(option)
             del _global_appctx_data[value_id]
+
+        del _option_types[f"{self.prefix or ''}{option}"]
         super().__delitem__(option)
 
     def get(
diff --git a/tests/test_options.py b/tests/test_options.py
index 64f03d9..4f4f1be 100644
--- a/tests/test_options.py
+++ b/tests/test_options.py
@@ -412,3 +412,45 @@ def test_importing_petsctools_leaves_petsc_initialisable():
         "assert PETSc.Sys.isInitialized()\n"
     )
     subprocess.run([sys.executable, "-c", script], check=True)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipnopetsc4py
+def test_options_preserve_types():
+    opts = petsctools.Options()
+
+    items = [666, "a string", 1.234, 1.234e11, True, False, None]
+    for item in items:
+        opts["my_option"] = item
+        assert opts["my_option"] == item
+        assert type(opts["my_option"]) is type(item)
+
+    del opts["my_option"]
+    assert len(petsctools.options._option_types) == 0
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipnopetsc4py
+def test_options_missing_types():
+    # Test that options inserted using PETSc.Options instead of
+    # petsctools.Options still work even though we don't know the type
+    from petsc4py import PETSc
+
+    petsc_opts = PETSc.Options()
+    petsctools_opts = petsctools.Options()
+
+    items = [
+        (666, petsc_opts.getInt),
+        ("a string", petsc_opts.getString),
+        (1.234, petsc_opts.getReal),
+        (1.234e11, petsc_opts.getReal),
+        (True, petsc_opts.getBool),
+        (False, petsc_opts.getBool),
+        (None, None),  # no suitable default getter for None
+    ]
+    for item, getter in items:
+        petsc_opts["my_option"] = item
+
+        assert isinstance(petsc_opts["my_option"], str)
+        assert isinstance(petsctools_opts["my_option"], str)
+
+        if getter is not None:
+            assert getter("my_option") == item