diff --git a/src/wp-includes/user.php b/src/wp-includes/user.php
index 5f98b1e478..46088fef04 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/user.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/user.php
@@ -500,6 +500,7 @@ class WP_User_Query {
 	 * Prepare the query variables.
 	 *
 	 * @since 3.1.0
+	 * @since 4.2.0 Added 'meta_value_num' support for `$orderby` parameter.
 	 * @access public
 	 *
 	 * @param string|array $query {
@@ -521,8 +522,9 @@ class WP_User_Query {
 	 *     @type array        $search_columns  Array of column names to be searched. Accepts 'ID', 'login',
 	 *                                         'nicename', 'email', 'url'. Default empty array.
 	 *     @type string       $orderby         Field to sort the retrieved users by. Accepts 'ID', 'display_name',
-	 *                                         'login', 'nicename', 'email', 'url', 'registered', 'post_count', or
-	 *                                         'meta_value'. To use 'meta_value', `$meta_key` must be also be defined.
+	 *                                         'login', 'nicename', 'email', 'url', 'registered', 'post_count',
+	 *                                         'meta_value' or 'meta_value_num'. To use 'meta_value' or
+	 *                                         'meta_value_num', `$meta_key` must be also be defined.
 	 *                                         Default 'user_login'.
 	 *     @type string       $order           Designates ascending or descending order of users. Accepts 'ASC',
 	 *                                         'DESC'. Default 'ASC'.
@@ -631,6 +633,8 @@ class WP_User_Query {
 				$orderby = 'ID';
 			} elseif ( 'meta_value' == $qv['orderby'] ) {
 				$orderby = "$wpdb->usermeta.meta_value";
+			} elseif ( 'meta_value_num' == $qv['orderby'] ) {
+				$orderby = "$wpdb->usermeta.meta_value+0";
 			} elseif ( 'include' === $qv['orderby'] && ! empty( $include ) ) {
 				// Sanitized earlier.
 				$include_sql = implode( ',', $include );
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/query.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/query.php
index 4ed7319e6a..37b8d6759a 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/query.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/query.php
@@ -134,6 +134,30 @@ class Tests_User_Query extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertEquals( $expected, $q->get_results() );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 27887
+	 */
+	public function test_orderby_meta_value_num() {
+		$users = $this->factory->user->create_many( 3, array(
+			'role' => 'author'
+		) );
+
+		update_user_meta( $users[0], 'user_age', '101' );
+		update_user_meta( $users[1], 'user_age', '20' );
+		update_user_meta( $users[2], 'user_age', '25' );
+
+		$q = new WP_User_Query( array(
+			'include' => $users,
+			'meta_key' => 'user_age',
+			'orderby' => 'meta_value_num',
+			'fields' => 'ids'
+		) );
+
+		$expected = array( $users[1], $users[2], $users[0] );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( $expected, $q->get_results() );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 30064
 	 */