diff --git a/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/infer_schema.go b/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/infer_schema.go
index 797833e9d8..fabd2a4721 100644
--- a/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/infer_schema.go
+++ b/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/infer_schema.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package actions
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"math"
 	"strconv"
@@ -217,9 +218,19 @@ func leastPermissiveNumericType(strVal string, floatThreshold float64) (ti typei
 
 	// always parse as signed int
 	i, err := strconv.ParseInt(strVal, 10, 64)
+	// use string for out of range
+	if errors.Is(err, strconv.ErrRange) {
+		return typeinfo.StringDefaultType
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return typeinfo.UnknownType
 	}
+
+	// handle leading zero case
+	if len(strVal) > 1 && strVal[0] == '0' {
+		return typeinfo.StringDefaultType
+	}
+
 	if i >= math.MinInt32 && i <= math.MaxInt32 {
 		return typeinfo.Int32Type
 	} else {
diff --git a/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/infer_schema_test.go b/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/infer_schema_test.go
index c603ecf4de..40bdedb68a 100644
--- a/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/infer_schema_test.go
+++ b/go/libraries/doltcore/env/actions/infer_schema_test.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func TestLeastPermissiveNumericType(t *testing.T) {
 		floatThreshold float64
 		expType        typeinfo.TypeInfo
 	}{
-		{"zero", "0", 0.0, typeinfo.Uint32Type},
+		{"zero", "0", 0.0, typeinfo.Int32Type},
 		{"zero float", "0.0", 0.0, typeinfo.Float32Type},
 		{"zero float with floatThreshold of 0.1", "0.0", 0.1, typeinfo.Int32Type},
 		{"negative float", "-1.3451234", 0.0, typeinfo.Float32Type},
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ func TestLeastPermissiveNumericType(t *testing.T) {
 		{"all zeroes", "0000", 0.0, typeinfo.StringDefaultType},
 		{"leading zeroes", "01", 0.0, typeinfo.StringDefaultType},
 		{"negative int", "-1234", 0.0, typeinfo.Int32Type},
-		{"fits in uint64 but not int64", strconv.FormatUint(math.MaxUint64, 10), 0.0, typeinfo.Uint64Type},
-		{"negative less than math.MinInt64", "-" + strconv.FormatUint(math.MaxUint64, 10), 0.0, typeinfo.UnknownType},
+		{"fits in uint64 but not int64", strconv.FormatUint(math.MaxUint64, 10), 0.0, typeinfo.StringDefaultType},
+		{"negative less than math.MinInt64", "-" + strconv.FormatUint(math.MaxUint64, 10), 0.0, typeinfo.StringDefaultType},
 		{"math.MinInt64", strconv.FormatInt(math.MinInt64, 10), 0.0, typeinfo.Int64Type},
 	}