diff --git a/mastodon/Mastodon.py b/mastodon/Mastodon.py
index b118421..cc16a10 100644
--- a/mastodon/Mastodon.py
+++ b/mastodon/Mastodon.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import dateutil.parser
 import re
 import copy
 import threading
+import sys
 try:
     from urllib.parse import urlparse
 except ImportError:
@@ -970,6 +971,7 @@ class Mastodon:
 
         return (date_time_utc - epoch_utc).total_seconds()
 
+
     def __json_date_parse(self, json_object):
         """
         Parse dates in certain known json fields, if possible.
@@ -986,6 +988,29 @@ class Mastodon:
                     raise MastodonAPIError('Encountered invalid date.')
         return json_object
 
+    def __json_id_to_bignum(self, json_object):
+        """
+        Converts json string IDs to native python bignums.
+        """
+        if sys.version_info.major >= 3:
+            str_type = str
+        else:
+            str_type = unicode
+
+        if ('id' in json_object and
+                isinstance(json_object['id'], str_type)):
+            try:
+                json_object['id'] = int(json_object['id'])
+            except ValueError:
+                pass
+
+        return json_object
+
+    def __json_hooks(self, json_object):
+        json_object = self.__json_date_parse(json_object)
+        json_object = self.__json_id_to_bignum(json_object)
+        return json_object
+
     def __api_request(self, method, endpoint, params={}, files={}, do_ratelimiting=True):
         """
         Internal API request helper.
@@ -1104,7 +1129,7 @@ class Mastodon:
                         continue
 
             try:
-                response = response_object.json(object_hook=self.__json_date_parse)
+                response = response_object.json(object_hook=self.__json_hooks)
             except:
                 raise MastodonAPIError(
                     "Could not parse response as JSON, response code was %s, "