diff --git a/changelog.d/1304.enhancement.md b/changelog.d/1304.enhancement.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2722c7aaff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/1304.enhancement.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The `encode_proto` function was enhanced to automatically convert integer, float, and boolean values when passed to string proto fields.
diff --git a/src/protobuf/encode.rs b/src/protobuf/encode.rs
index fa4f6a1141..60b3e5df75 100644
--- a/src/protobuf/encode.rs
+++ b/src/protobuf/encode.rs
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ fn convert_value_raw(
                 .map_err(|e| format!("Error setting 'nanos' field: {}", e))?;
             Ok(prost_reflect::Value::Message(message))
         }
+        (Value::Boolean(b), Kind::String) => Ok(prost_reflect::Value::String(b.to_string())),
+        (Value::Integer(i), Kind::String) => Ok(prost_reflect::Value::String(i.to_string())),
+        (Value::Float(f), Kind::String) => Ok(prost_reflect::Value::String(f.to_string())),
+        (Value::Timestamp(t), Kind::String) => Ok(prost_reflect::Value::String(t.to_string())),
         _ => Err(format!(
             "Cannot encode `{kind_str}` into protobuf `{kind:?}`",
         )),
@@ -168,7 +172,12 @@ pub fn encode_message(
             match map.get(field.name()) {
                 None | Some(Value::Null) => message.clear_field(&field),
                 Some(value) => message
-                    .try_set_field(&field, convert_value(&field, value.clone())?)
+                    .try_set_field(
+                        &field,
+                        convert_value(&field, value.clone()).map_err(|e| {
+                            format!("Error converting {} field: {}", field.name(), e)
+                        })?,
+                    )
                     .map_err(|e| format!("Error setting {} field: {}", field.name(), e))?,
             }
         }
@@ -448,6 +457,45 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_encode_value_as_string() {
+        let mut message = encode_message(
+            &test_message_descriptor("Bytes"),
+            Value::Object(BTreeMap::from([("text".into(), Value::Boolean(true))])),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(Some("true"), mfield!(message, "text").as_str());
+        message = encode_message(
+            &test_message_descriptor("Bytes"),
+            Value::Object(BTreeMap::from([("text".into(), Value::Integer(123))])),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(Some("123"), mfield!(message, "text").as_str());
+        message = encode_message(
+            &test_message_descriptor("Bytes"),
+            Value::Object(BTreeMap::from([(
+                "text".into(),
+                Value::Float(NotNan::new(45.67).unwrap()),
+            )])),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(Some("45.67"), mfield!(message, "text").as_str());
+        message = encode_message(
+            &test_message_descriptor("Bytes"),
+            Value::Object(BTreeMap::from([(
+                "text".into(),
+                Value::Timestamp(
+                    DateTime::from_timestamp(8675, 309).expect("could not compute timestamp"),
+                ),
+            )])),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            Some("1970-01-01 02:24:35.000000309 UTC"),
+            mfield!(message, "text").as_str()
+        );
+    }
+
     fn read_pb_file(protobuf_bin_message_path: &str) -> String {
         fs::read_to_string(test_data_dir().join(protobuf_bin_message_path)).unwrap()
     }
diff --git a/tests/data/protobuf/Makefile b/tests/data/protobuf/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a44a3306ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/protobuf/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+generate-desc:
+	protoc --proto_path=. --include_imports --descriptor_set_out=test.desc test.proto
+	protoc --proto_path=. --include_imports --descriptor_set_out=test_protobuf.desc test_protobuf.proto
+	protoc --proto_path=. --include_imports --descriptor_set_out=test_protobuf3.desc test_protobuf3.proto
diff --git a/tests/data/protobuf/test.proto b/tests/data/protobuf/test.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82356febb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/protobuf/test.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+
+import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto";
+
+package test;
+
+message Integers {
+  int32 i32 = 1;
+  int64 i64 = 2;
+  uint32 u32 = 3;
+  uint64 u64 = 4;
+}
+
+message Floats {
+  double d = 1;
+  float f = 2;
+}
+
+message Bytes {
+  string text = 1;
+  bytes binary = 2;
+}
+
+message Map {
+  message Person {
+    string nickname = 1;
+    uint32 age = 2;
+  }
+
+  map<string, int32> names = 1;
+  map<string, Person> people = 2;
+
+}
+
+message Enum {
+  enum Fruit {
+    APPLE = 0;
+    OLIVE = 1;
+    TOMATO = 2;
+  }
+  Fruit breakfast = 1;
+  Fruit lunch = 2;
+  Fruit dinner = 3;
+}
+
+message Timestamp {
+  google.protobuf.Timestamp morning = 1;
+}
+
+message RepeatedPrimitive {
+  repeated int64 numbers = 1;
+}
+
+message RepeatedMessage {
+  repeated EmbeddedMessage messages = 1;
+
+  message EmbeddedMessage {
+    optional string text = 1;
+    optional uint32 index = 2;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/data/protobuf/test_protobuf.desc b/tests/data/protobuf/test_protobuf.desc
index 43e7acf6cf..658b7f8d61 100644
Binary files a/tests/data/protobuf/test_protobuf.desc and b/tests/data/protobuf/test_protobuf.desc differ
diff --git a/tests/data/protobuf/test_protobuf3.desc b/tests/data/protobuf/test_protobuf3.desc
index 9fcfec71b4..ab2f3ca6ec 100644
Binary files a/tests/data/protobuf/test_protobuf3.desc and b/tests/data/protobuf/test_protobuf3.desc differ