diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ed35f19..d3d188d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ module github.com/sei-protocol/sei-config
 go 1.25.6
 
 require github.com/BurntSushi/toml v1.5.0
+
+require github.com/go-viper/mapstructure/v2 v2.5.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index ff7fd09..3a30160 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 github.com/BurntSushi/toml v1.5.0 h1:W5quZX/G/csjUnuI8SUYlsHs9M38FC7znL0lIO+DvMg=
 github.com/BurntSushi/toml v1.5.0/go.mod h1:ukJfTF/6rtPPRCnwkur4qwRxa8vTRFBF0uk2lLoLwho=
+github.com/go-viper/mapstructure/v2 v2.5.0 h1:vM5IJoUAy3d7zRSVtIwQgBj7BiWtMPfmPEgAXnvj1Ro=
+github.com/go-viper/mapstructure/v2 v2.5.0/go.mod h1:oJDH3BJKyqBA2TXFhDsKDGDTlndYOZ6rGS0BRZIxGhM=
diff --git a/io.go b/io.go
index eb18256..352474f 100644
--- a/io.go
+++ b/io.go
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
+	"github.com/go-viper/mapstructure/v2"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -23,12 +26,12 @@ func ReadConfigFromDir(homeDir string) (*SeiConfig, error) {
 	appPath := filepath.Join(cfgDir, appTomlFile)
 
 	var tm legacyTendermintConfig
-	if _, err := toml.DecodeFile(configPath, &tm); err != nil {
+	if err := decodeTOMLFile(configPath, &tm); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading %s: %w", configPath, err)
 	}
 
 	var app legacyAppConfig
-	if _, err := toml.DecodeFile(appPath, &app); err != nil {
+	if err := decodeTOMLFile(appPath, &app); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading %s: %w", appPath, err)
 	}
 
@@ -36,6 +39,70 @@ func ReadConfigFromDir(homeDir string) (*SeiConfig, error) {
 	return cfg, nil
 }
 
+// decodeTOMLFile decodes a TOML file into out, coercing quoted scalars the way
+// the legacy reader does. The seid/tendermint config templates emit some
+// numeric and bool fields quoted (e.g. `duplicate-txs-cache-size = "100000"`,
+// `gossip-tx-key-only = "true"`); BurntSushi/toml alone is strict and rejects a
+// quoted string into an int/bool field, so we decode to a generic map and then
+// weakly-typed-decode into the struct. The TextUnmarshaller hook keeps
+// string-encoded types (Duration) parsing.
+//
+// This approximates how cosmos/Viper tolerates quoted scalars (not full parity
+// — Viper's hooks and key handling differ). WeaklyTypedInput widens tolerance
+// two ways worth knowing: (a) a non-string scalar bound to a string field is
+// stringified (e.g. a stray `true` becomes "1") — accepted as benign since seid
+// templates never emit that form; (b) an empty string bound to a numeric/bool
+// field would coerce to the zero value — this we reject (see
+// rejectEmptyScalarStringHook) so blanking a limit errors rather than silently
+// pinning it to zero. Genuinely malformed values (non-numeric strings, bad
+// durations, overflow) still error (locked by io_quoted_scalars_test.go).
+func decodeTOMLFile(path string, out any) error {
+	var raw map[string]any
+	if _, err := toml.DecodeFile(path, &raw); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	dec, err := mapstructure.NewDecoder(&mapstructure.DecoderConfig{
+		DecodeHook: mapstructure.ComposeDecodeHookFunc(
+			rejectEmptyScalarStringHook,
+			mapstructure.TextUnmarshallerHookFunc(),
+		),
+		WeaklyTypedInput: true,
+		TagName:          "toml",
+		Result:           out,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return dec.Decode(raw)
+}
+
+// rejectEmptyScalarStringHook fails an empty-string value bound to a numeric or
+// bool field instead of letting WeaklyTypedInput silently coerce it to the zero
+// value. Blanking a numeric (a connection limit, a cache size) should error,
+// not silently pin it to 0/false. Non-empty strings pass through unchanged to
+// the quoted-scalar coercion the template requires.
+func rejectEmptyScalarStringHook(from, to reflect.Type, data any) (any, error) {
+	if from.Kind() != reflect.String {
+		return data, nil
+	}
+	if s, _ := data.(string); strings.TrimSpace(s) != "" {
+		return data, nil
+	}
+	t := to
+	for t.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+		t = t.Elem()
+	}
+	switch t.Kind() {
+	case reflect.Bool,
+		reflect.Int, reflect.Int8, reflect.Int16, reflect.Int32, reflect.Int64,
+		reflect.Uint, reflect.Uint8, reflect.Uint16, reflect.Uint32, reflect.Uint64,
+		reflect.Float32, reflect.Float64:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("empty string for %s field", to)
+	default:
+		return data, nil
+	}
+}
+
 // WriteConfigToDir writes the SeiConfig as config.toml and app.toml into
 // homeDir/config/. Writes are atomic (temp file + rename) to prevent
 // corruption on crash.
diff --git a/io_quoted_scalars_test.go b/io_quoted_scalars_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b4ef0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/io_quoted_scalars_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package seiconfig
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestReadConfigFromDir_CoercesQuotedScalars reproduces the seid/tendermint
+// config template's quoted primitives — e.g. `duplicate-txs-cache-size = "100000"`
+// (a Go int) and `broadcast = "true"` (a Go bool) — and asserts ReadConfigFromDir
+// coerces them instead of failing a strict decode.
+//
+// Regression for the v2 ConfigManager differential (PLT-775): a real seid
+// config.toml is written with these primitives quoted, and the legacy reader
+// (cosmos/Viper) tolerates it via weakly-typed coercion. ReadConfigFromDir must
+// do the same, or v2 cannot read a real node's config and fails at boot.
+func TestReadConfigFromDir_CoercesQuotedScalars(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	cfgDir := filepath.Join(home, configDir)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(cfgDir, 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Quoted int, quoted bool, and a string-encoded Duration — the three
+	// coercion paths the lenient decoder must handle.
+	configToml := `
+[mempool]
+duplicate-txs-cache-size = "100000"
+broadcast = "true"
+ttl-duration = "1s"
+`
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(cfgDir, configTomlFile), configToml)
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(cfgDir, appTomlFile), "") // empty app.toml: fields default
+
+	cfg, err := ReadConfigFromDir(home)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ReadConfigFromDir failed on quoted scalars: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := cfg.Mempool.DuplicateTxsCacheSize; got != 100000 {
+		t.Errorf("Mempool.DuplicateTxsCacheSize = %d, want 100000 (quoted int not coerced)", got)
+	}
+	if !cfg.Mempool.Broadcast {
+		t.Errorf("Mempool.Broadcast = false, want true (quoted bool not coerced)")
+	}
+}
+
+func writeFile(t *testing.T, path, contents string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(contents), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestReadConfigFromDir_LocksLeniencyBoundary pins what must STILL error after
+// the lenient decode. The whole risk of weakly-typed coercion is silently
+// widening; these cases (a genuinely non-numeric string, an empty string into a
+// numeric field, a malformed duration) must keep failing, so a future decoder
+// change cannot loosen the boundary with a green suite.
+func TestReadConfigFromDir_LocksLeniencyBoundary(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[string]string{
+		"non-numeric string into int": "[mempool]\nduplicate-txs-cache-size = \"banana\"\n",
+		"empty string into int":       "[mempool]\nduplicate-txs-cache-size = \"\"\n",
+		"malformed duration":          "[mempool]\nttl-duration = \"notaduration\"\n",
+	}
+	for name, configToml := range cases {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			home := t.TempDir()
+			cfgDir := filepath.Join(home, configDir)
+			if err := os.MkdirAll(cfgDir, 0o755); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			writeFile(t, filepath.Join(cfgDir, configTomlFile), configToml)
+			writeFile(t, filepath.Join(cfgDir, appTomlFile), "")
+
+			if _, err := ReadConfigFromDir(home); err == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("expected ReadConfigFromDir to error on %s, got nil", name)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/version.json b/version.json
index 3e76eee..6966a31 100644
--- a/version.json
+++ b/version.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  "version": "v0.0.20"
+  "version": "v0.0.21"
 }