diff --git a/rebench/rebench.py b/rebench/rebench.py
index 64040028..1da90848 100755
--- a/rebench/rebench.py
+++ b/rebench/rebench.py
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@ def shell_options(self):
         execution.add_argument(
             '-in', '--invocations', action='store', dest='invocations',
             help='The number of times a VM is started to execute a run.',
-            default=None)
+            default=None, type=int)
         execution.add_argument(
             '-it', '--iterations', action='store', dest='iterations',
             help='The number of times a benchmark is to be executed within a VM invocation.',
-            default=None)
+            default=None, type=int)
         execution.add_argument(
             '-q', '--quick', action='store_true', dest='quick',
             help='Execute quickly. Identical with --iterations=1 --invocations=1',
diff --git a/rebench/tests/executor_test.py b/rebench/tests/executor_test.py
index 1befaebc..996065ee 100644
--- a/rebench/tests/executor_test.py
+++ b/rebench/tests/executor_test.py
@@ -134,6 +134,24 @@ def test_execution_with_quick_set(self):
 
         self.assertEqual(1, run.get_number_of_data_points())
 
+    def test_execution_with_invocation_and_iteration_set(self):
+        self._set_path(__file__)
+        option_parser = ReBench().shell_options()
+        cmd_config = option_parser.parse_args(['-in=2', '-it=2', 'persistency.conf'])
+        self.assertEqual(2, cmd_config.invocations)
+        self.assertEqual(2, cmd_config.iterations)
+
+        cnf = Configurator(load_config(self._path + '/persistency.conf'), DataStore(self._ui),
+                           self._ui, cmd_config, data_file=self._tmp_file)
+        runs = cnf.get_runs()
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(runs))
+
+        ex = Executor(runs, False, False, self._ui)
+        ex.execute()
+        run = list(runs)[0]
+
+        self.assertEqual(2, run.get_number_of_data_points())
+
     def test_shell_options_without_filters(self):
         option_parser = ReBench().shell_options()
         args = option_parser.parse_args(['-d', '-v', 'some.conf'])