diff --git a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferBlock.py b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferBlock.py
index 1a1fd63bc5..a4bf54b3b9 100644
--- a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferBlock.py
+++ b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferBlock.py
@@ -232,10 +232,18 @@ def setProcessingVer(self, procVer):
         Set the block's processing version.
         """
         # compatibility statement for old style proc ver (still needed ?)
+        pver = procVer
         if procVer.count("-") == 1:
-            self.data["processing_era"]["processing_version"] = procVer.split("-v")[1]
+            pver = procVer.split("-v")[1]
+
+        if isinstance(pver, str) or isinstance(pver, bytes):
+            procVer = int(pver)
+        elif isinstance(pver, int):
+            procVer = pver
         else:
-            self.data["processing_era"]["processing_version"] = procVer
+            msg = "Provided procVer=%s of type %s cannot be converted to int" % (procVer, type(procVer))
+            raise Exception(msg)
+        self.data["processing_era"]["processing_version"] = procVer
 
         self.data["processing_era"]["create_by"] = "WMAgent"
         self.data["processing_era"]["description"] = ""
diff --git a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferFile.py b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferFile.py
index d258544c9d..efdabd7bd2 100644
--- a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferFile.py
+++ b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferFile.py
@@ -388,7 +388,15 @@ def setProcessingVer(self, ver):
         Set the era
         """
 
-        self['processingVer'] = ver
+        procVer = 0 # type declaration
+        if isinstance(ver, str) or isinstance(ver, bytes):
+            procVer = int(ver)
+        elif isinstance(ver, int):
+            procVer = ver
+        else:
+            msg = "Provided procVer=%s of type %s cannot be converted to int" % (ver, type(ver))
+            raise Exception(msg)
+        self['processingVer'] = procVer
         return
 
     def setAcquisitionEra(self, era):
diff --git a/src/python/WMCore/WMSpec/WMWorkload.py b/src/python/WMCore/WMSpec/WMWorkload.py
index fdd161ca2f..a6c9d4cab4 100644
--- a/src/python/WMCore/WMSpec/WMWorkload.py
+++ b/src/python/WMCore/WMSpec/WMWorkload.py
@@ -956,7 +956,18 @@ def setProcessingVersion(self, processingVersions):
             task.setProcessingVersion(processingVersions, stepChainMap=stepNameMapping)
 
         self.updateLFNsAndDatasets()
-        self.data.properties.processingVersion = processingVersions
+        procVer = 0 # type declaration
+        if isinstance(processingVersions, str) or isinstance(processingVersions, bytes):
+            procVer = int(processingVersions)
+        elif isinstance(processingVersions, int):
+            procVer = processingVersions
+        elif isinstance(processingVersions, dict) or isinstance(processingVersions, list):
+            procVer = processingVersions
+        else:
+            msg = "Provided procVer=%s of type %s cannot be converted to int" \
+                    % (processingVersions, type(processingVersions))
+            raise Exception(msg)
+        self.data.properties.processingVersion = procVer
         return
 
     def setProcessingString(self, processingStrings):