diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/755.fixed.md b/doc/changelog.d/755.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8384f21b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/755.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Relax validation on enum values deserialization
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ansys/openapi/common/_api_client.py b/src/ansys/openapi/common/_api_client.py
index 01a87064..9c7fdd79 100644
--- a/src/ansys/openapi/common/_api_client.py
+++ b/src/ansys/openapi/common/_api_client.py
@@ -409,7 +409,6 @@ def __deserialize(self, data: SerializedType, klass_name: str) -> DeserializedTy
 
         klass = self.models[klass_name]
         if issubclass(klass, Enum):
-            assert isinstance(data, str)
             return klass(data)
         else:
             assert isinstance(data, (dict, str))
diff --git a/tests/models/__init__.py b/tests/models/__init__.py
index ed06b55a..7a000964 100644
--- a/tests/models/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/models/__init__.py
@@ -22,5 +22,6 @@
 
 from .example_base_model import ExampleBaseModel
 from .example_enum import ExampleEnum
+from .example_int_enum import ExampleIntEnum
 from .example_model import ExampleModel
 from .example_model_with_enum import ExampleModelWithEnum
diff --git a/tests/models/example_int_enum.py b/tests/models/example_int_enum.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..187e0dc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/models/example_int_enum.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2022 - 2025 ANSYS, Inc. and/or its affiliates.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+#
+#
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+#
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+# copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+#
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+# SOFTWARE.
+
+from enum import Enum
+
+
+class ExampleIntEnum(Enum):
+    _200 = 200
+    _404 = 404
diff --git a/tests/test_api_client.py b/tests/test_api_client.py
index a6957bc9..bbeed32e 100644
--- a/tests/test_api_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_api_client.py
@@ -401,6 +401,36 @@ def test_deserialize_enum(self):
         assert isinstance(serialized_enum, models.ExampleEnum)
         assert serialized_enum == models.ExampleEnum.GOOD
 
+    def test_deserialize_int_enum(self):
+        from . import models
+
+        self._client.setup_client(models)
+        value = 200
+        type_ref = "ExampleIntEnum"
+        serialized_enum = self._client._ApiClient__deserialize(value, type_ref)
+        assert isinstance(serialized_enum, models.ExampleIntEnum)
+        assert serialized_enum == models.ExampleIntEnum._200
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ["value", "target_enum", "expected_error_msg"],
+        [
+            ("200", "ExampleIntEnum", "'200' is not a valid ExampleIntEnum"),
+            (4.5, "ExampleIntEnum", "4.5 is not a valid ExampleIntEnum"),
+            (4, "ExampleIntEnum", "4 is not a valid ExampleIntEnum"),
+            ("SomeValue", "ExampleEnum", "'SomeValue' is not a valid ExampleEnum"),
+            (4.5, "ExampleEnum", "4.5 is not a valid ExampleEnum"),
+            (4, "ExampleEnum", "4 is not a valid ExampleEnum"),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_deserialize_enums_raises_helpful_message_on_wrong_value(
+        self, value, target_enum, expected_error_msg
+    ):
+        from . import models
+
+        self._client.setup_client(models)
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=expected_error_msg):
+            _ = self._client._ApiClient__deserialize(value, target_enum)
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         ("data", "target_type"),
         (