diff --git a/SlevomatCodingStandard/Helpers/SniffSettingsHelper.php b/SlevomatCodingStandard/Helpers/SniffSettingsHelper.php
index f7eb2060f..d4d37f2ef 100644
--- a/SlevomatCodingStandard/Helpers/SniffSettingsHelper.php
+++ b/SlevomatCodingStandard/Helpers/SniffSettingsHelper.php
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@
 class SniffSettingsHelper
 {
 
+	/**
+	 * @param string|int $settings
+	 * @return int
+	 */
+	public static function normalizeInteger($settings): int
+	{
+		return (int) trim((string) $settings);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @param mixed[] $settings
 	 * @return mixed[]
diff --git a/SlevomatCodingStandard/Sniffs/TypeHints/DeclareStrictTypesSniff.php b/SlevomatCodingStandard/Sniffs/TypeHints/DeclareStrictTypesSniff.php
index 98120cd89..56e9861e5 100644
--- a/SlevomatCodingStandard/Sniffs/TypeHints/DeclareStrictTypesSniff.php
+++ b/SlevomatCodingStandard/Sniffs/TypeHints/DeclareStrictTypesSniff.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace SlevomatCodingStandard\Sniffs\TypeHints;
 
+use SlevomatCodingStandard\Helpers\SniffSettingsHelper;
 use SlevomatCodingStandard\Helpers\TokenHelper;
 
 class DeclareStrictTypesSniff implements \PHP_CodeSniffer_Sniff
@@ -98,7 +99,8 @@ public function process(\PHP_CodeSniffer_File $phpcsFile, $openTagPointer)
 		}
 
 		$strictTypesContent = TokenHelper::getContent($phpcsFile, $strictTypesPointer, $numberPointer);
-		$format = sprintf('strict_types%1$s=%1$s1', str_repeat(' ', $this->spacesCountAroundEqualsSign));
+		$spacesCountAroundEqualsSign = SniffSettingsHelper::normalizeInteger($this->spacesCountAroundEqualsSign);
+		$format = sprintf('strict_types%1$s=%1$s1', str_repeat(' ', $spacesCountAroundEqualsSign));
 		if ($strictTypesContent !== $format) {
 			$fix = $phpcsFile->addFixableError(
 				sprintf(
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ public function process(\PHP_CodeSniffer_File $phpcsFile, $openTagPointer)
 		}
 
 		$openingWhitespace = substr($tokens[$openTagPointer]['content'], strlen('<?php'));
-		$newlinesCountBetweenOpenTagAndDeclare = (int) trim((string) $this->newlinesCountBetweenOpenTagAndDeclare);
+		$newlinesCountBetweenOpenTagAndDeclare = SniffSettingsHelper::normalizeInteger($this->newlinesCountBetweenOpenTagAndDeclare);
 		if ($newlinesCountBetweenOpenTagAndDeclare === 0) {
 			if ($openingWhitespace !== ' ') {
 				$fix = $phpcsFile->addFixableError(
diff --git a/tests/Helpers/SniffSettingsHelperTest.php b/tests/Helpers/SniffSettingsHelperTest.php
index 05836b065..97d2ae696 100644
--- a/tests/Helpers/SniffSettingsHelperTest.php
+++ b/tests/Helpers/SniffSettingsHelperTest.php
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@
 class SniffSettingsHelperTest extends \SlevomatCodingStandard\Helpers\TestCase
 {
 
+	public function testNormalizeInteger()
+	{
+		$this->assertSame(2, SniffSettingsHelper::normalizeInteger(2));
+		$this->assertSame(2, SniffSettingsHelper::normalizeInteger('2'));
+		$this->assertSame(2, SniffSettingsHelper::normalizeInteger('  2  '));
+	}
+
 	public function testNormalizeArray()
 	{
 		$this->assertSame([