diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 0a03dc0717..443189e330 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 ---------
 
 - Fix NASA ADS, which had an internal syntax error (#602)
+- Bugifx in NRAO queries: telescope config was parsed incorrectly (#629)
 - IBE - added new module for locating data from PTF, WISE, and 2MASS from IRSA.
   See <http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/ibe/> for more information about IBE and
   <http://www.ptf.caltech.edu/page/ibe> for more information about PTF survey
diff --git a/astroquery/nrao/core.py b/astroquery/nrao/core.py
index cefcceaae4..8cd27aa83a 100644
--- a/astroquery/nrao/core.py
+++ b/astroquery/nrao/core.py
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ def _args_to_payload(self, **kwargs):
     @prepend_docstr_noreturns(_args_to_payload.__doc__)
     def query_async(self,
                     get_query_payload=False,
+                    cache=True,
                     **kwargs):
         """
         Returns
@@ -209,10 +210,8 @@ def query_async(self,
 
         if get_query_payload:
             return request_payload
-        response = commons.send_request(Nrao.DATA_URL,
-                                        request_payload,
-                                        Nrao.TIMEOUT,
-                                        request_type='POST')
+        response = self._request('POST', self.DATA_URL, params=request_payload,
+                                 timeout=self.TIMEOUT, cache=cache)
         return response
 
     @prepend_docstr_noreturns(_args_to_payload.__doc__)
@@ -244,11 +243,8 @@ def query_region_async(self, coordinates, radius=1 * u.deg,
     def _parse_result(self, response, verbose=False):
         if not verbose:
             commons.suppress_vo_warnings()
-        # fix to replace non standard datatype 'integer' in returned VOTable
-        # with 'int' to make it parsable by astropy.io.votable
-        integer_re = re.compile(r'datatype="integer"')
-        content = response.text
-        new_content = integer_re.sub(r'datatype="int"', content)
+
+        new_content = response.text
 
         # these are pretty bad hacks, but also needed...
         days_re = re.compile(r'unit="days"  datatype="double"')
@@ -257,10 +253,17 @@ def _parse_result(self, response, verbose=False):
         degrees_re = re.compile(r'unit="degrees"  datatype="double"')
         new_content = degrees_re.sub(r'unit="degrees"  datatype="char" '
                                      'arraysize="*"', new_content)
+        telconfig_re = re.compile(r'datatype="char"  name="Telescope:config"')
+        new_content = telconfig_re.sub(r'datatype="unicodeChar" '
+                                       'name="Telescope:config" '
+                                       ' arraysize="*" ', new_content)
+
+        datatype_mapping = {'integer':'long'}
 
         try:
             tf = six.BytesIO(new_content.encode())
-            first_table = votable.parse(tf, pedantic=False).get_first_table()
+            first_table = votable.parse(tf, pedantic=False,
+                                        datatype_mapping=datatype_mapping).get_first_table()
             try:
                 table = first_table.to_table(use_names_over_ids=True)
             except TypeError:
diff --git a/astroquery/nrao/tests/test_nrao.py b/astroquery/nrao/tests/test_nrao.py
index 7527fc24d8..b624cf2c35 100644
--- a/astroquery/nrao/tests/test_nrao.py
+++ b/astroquery/nrao/tests/test_nrao.py
@@ -28,29 +28,20 @@ def parse_coordinates_mock_return(c):
     return mp
 
 
-@pytest.fixture
-def patch_get(request):
-    mp = request.getfuncargvalue("monkeypatch")
-    mp.setattr(requests, 'get', get_mockreturn)
-    return mp
-
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def patch_post(request):
     mp = request.getfuncargvalue("monkeypatch")
-    mp.setattr(requests, 'post', post_mockreturn)
+    mp.setattr(requests.Session, 'request', post_mockreturn)
     return mp
 
 
-def get_mockreturn(url, params=None, timeout=10, **kwargs):
-    filename = data_path(DATA_FILES['votable'])
-    content = open(filename, 'rb').read()
-    return MockResponse(content, **kwargs)
-
-
-def post_mockreturn(url, data=None, timeout=10, **kwargs):
+def post_mockreturn(self, method, url, data=None, timeout=10, files=None,
+                    params=None, headers=None, **kwargs):
+    if method != 'POST':
+        raise ValueError("A 'post request' was made with method != POST")
     filename = data_path(DATA_FILES['votable'])
-    content = open(filename, 'rb').read()
+    content = open(filename, "rb").read()
     return MockResponse(content, **kwargs)