diff --git a/libqtile/command/base.py b/libqtile/command/base.py
index ee4bd04c15..52eee7afe6 100644
--- a/libqtile/command/base.py
+++ b/libqtile/command/base.py
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@
 import inspect
 import sys
 import traceback
+import types
 from functools import partial
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, get_origin, get_args
 
 from libqtile.configurable import Configurable
 from libqtile.log_utils import logger
@@ -74,7 +75,43 @@ def wrapper(func: Callable):
                 func._mapping.append(name)  # type:ignore
             else:
                 logger.error("Unexpected value received in command decorator: %s", name)
-        return func
+
+        def lift_arg(typ, arg):
+            # for stuff like int | None, allow either
+            if get_origin(typ) is types.UnionType:
+                for t in get_args(typ):
+                    if t == types.NoneType:
+                        # special case None? I don't know what this looks like
+                        # coming over IPC
+                        if arg == "":
+                            return None
+                        if arg == None:
+                            return None
+                        continue
+
+                    try:
+                        return lift_arg(t, arg)
+                    except TypeError:
+                        pass
+                # uh oh, we couldn't lift it to anything
+                raise TypeError(f"{arg} is not a {typ}")
+            return typ(arg)
+
+        def type_converter(*args, **kwargs):
+            converted_args = []
+            converted_kwargs = dict()
+
+            params = inspect.signature(func).parameters
+
+            for arg, param in zip(args, params):
+                converted_args.append(lift_arg(param.annotation, arg))
+
+            for k, v in kwargs:
+                converted_kwargs[k] = lift_arg(params[k].annotation, v)
+
+            return func(*converted_args, **converted_kwargs)
+
+        return type_converter
 
     # If the decorator is added with no parentheses then we should treat it
     # as if it had been i.e. expose the decorated method