diff --git a/gramps/cli/argparser.py b/gramps/cli/argparser.py
index 49f7dee86..00078097e 100644
--- a/gramps/cli/argparser.py
+++ b/gramps/cli/argparser.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2008       Raphael Ackermann
 # Copyright (C) 2008       Brian G. Matherly
 # Copyright (C) 2012       Doug Blank
-# Copyright (C) 2012       Paul Franklin
+# Copyright (C) 2012-2013  Paul Franklin
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ import logging
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from gramps.gen.const import LONGOPTS, SHORTOPTS
 from gramps.gen.config import config
-from gramps.gen.utils.configmanager import safe_eval
+from gramps.gen.utils.cast import get_type_converter
 from gramps.gen.utils.file import get_unicode_path_from_env_var
 from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 _ = glocale.translation.gettext
@@ -320,11 +320,14 @@ class ArgParser(object):
                                       % (setting_name, repr(setting_value)),
                                       file=sys.stderr)
                         if set_value:
-                            if new_value == "DEFAULT":
+                            # does a user want the default config value?
+                            if new_value in ("DEFAULT", _("DEFAULT")):
                                 new_value = config.get_default(setting_name)
                             else:
-                                new_value = safe_eval(new_value)
+                                converter = get_type_converter(setting_value)
+                                new_value = converter(new_value)
                             config.set(setting_name, new_value)
+                            # translators: indent "New" to match "Current"
                             print(_("    New Gramps config setting: %s:%s")
                                           % (setting_name,
                                              repr(config.get(setting_name))),