diff --git a/lib/logstash/inputs/zeromq.rb b/lib/logstash/inputs/zeromq.rb
index 6e8ed38d9..5bc08936c 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/inputs/zeromq.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/inputs/zeromq.rb
@@ -73,17 +73,10 @@ class LogStash::Inputs::ZeroMQ < LogStash::Inputs::Base
     error_check(@zsocket.setsockopt(ZMQ::LINGER, 1),
                 "while setting ZMQ::LINGER == 1)")
 
-    # TODO (lusis)
-    # wireup sockopt hash
     if @sockopt
-      @sockopt.each do |opt,value|
-        sockopt = opt.split('::')[1]
-        option = ZMQ.const_defined?(sockopt) ? ZMQ.const_get(sockopt) : ZMQ.const_missing(sockopt)
-        error_check(@zsocket.setsockopt(option, value),
-                "while setting #{opt} == 1)")
-      end
+      setopts(@zsocket, @sockopt)
     end
-    
+
     @address.each do |addr|
       setup(@zsocket, addr)
     end
diff --git a/lib/logstash/outputs/zeromq.rb b/lib/logstash/outputs/zeromq.rb
index 48dfd6c35..0434b6b92 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/outputs/zeromq.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/outputs/zeromq.rb
@@ -73,16 +73,8 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::ZeroMQ < LogStash::Outputs::Base
     error_check(@zsocket.setsockopt(ZMQ::LINGER, 1),
                 "while setting ZMQ::LINGER == 1)")
 
-    # TODO (lusis)
-    # wireup sockopt hash better
-    # making assumptions on split
     if @sockopt
-      @sockopt.each do |opt,value|
-        sockopt = opt.split('::')[1]
-        option = ZMQ.const_defined?(sockopt) ? ZMQ.const_get(sockopt) : ZMQ.const_missing(sockopt)
-        error_check(@zsocket.setsockopt(option, value),
-                "while setting #{opt} == 1)")
-      end
+      setopts(@zsocket, @sockopt)
     end
 
     @address.each do |addr|
diff --git a/lib/logstash/util/zeromq.rb b/lib/logstash/util/zeromq.rb
index d5da3572d..254aeaa9f 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/util/zeromq.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/util/zeromq.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ require "logstash/namespace"
 
 module LogStash::Util::ZeroMQ
   CONTEXT = ZMQ::Context.new
+  # LOGSTASH-400
+  # see https://github.com/chuckremes/ffi-rzmq/blob/master/lib/ffi-rzmq/socket.rb#L93-117
+  STRING_OPTS = %w{IDENTITY SUBSCRIBE UNSUBSCRIBE}
 
   def context
     CONTEXT
@@ -23,4 +26,21 @@ module LogStash::Util::ZeroMQ
       raise "ZeroMQ Error while #{doing}"
     end
   end # def error_check
+
+  def setopts(socket, options)
+    options.each do |opt,value|
+      sockopt = opt.split('::')[1]
+      option = ZMQ.const_defined?(sockopt) ? ZMQ.const_get(sockopt) : ZMQ.const_missing(sockopt)
+      unless STRING_OPTS.include?(sockopt)
+        begin
+          Float(value)
+          value = value.to_i
+        rescue ArgumentError
+          raise "#{sockopt} requires a numeric value. #{value} is not numeric"
+        end
+      end # end unless
+      error_check(socket.setsockopt(option, value),
+              "while setting #{opt} == #{value}")
+    end # end each
+  end # end setopts
 end # module LogStash::Util::ZeroMQ