diff --git a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/ruby/swagger/response.mustache b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/ruby/swagger/response.mustache
index 8e5b654011f0..b5f53dae5469 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/ruby/swagger/response.mustache
+++ b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/ruby/swagger/response.mustache
@@ -40,25 +40,30 @@ module {{moduleName}}
         end
 
         begin
-          data = JSON.parse(body, :symbolize_names => true)
+          data = JSON.parse("[#{body}]", :symbolize_names => true)[0]
         rescue JSON::ParserError => e
-          if return_type == 'String'
-            return body
+          if %w(String Date DateTime).include?(return_type)
+            data = body
           else
             raise e
           end
         end
 
-        build_models data, return_type
+        convert_to_type data, return_type
       end
 
-      # Walk through the given data and, when necessary, build model(s) from
-      # Hash data for array/hash values of the response.
-      def build_models(data, return_type)
+      # Convert data to the given return type.
+      def convert_to_type(data, return_type)
+        return nil if data.nil?
         case return_type
-        when 'String', 'Integer', 'Float', 'BOOLEAN'
-          # primitives, return directly
-          data
+        when 'String'
+          data.to_s
+        when 'Integer'
+          data.to_i
+        when 'Float'
+          data.to_f
+        when 'BOOLEAN'
+          data == true
         when 'DateTime'
           # parse date time (expecting ISO 8601 format)
           DateTime.parse data
@@ -71,12 +76,12 @@ module {{moduleName}}
         when /\AArray<(.+)>\z/
           # e.g. Array<Pet>
           sub_type = $1
-          data.map {|item| build_models(item, sub_type) }
+          data.map {|item| convert_to_type(item, sub_type) }
         when /\AHash\<String, (.+)\>\z/
           # e.g. Hash<String, Integer>
           sub_type = $1
           {}.tap do |hash|
-            data.each {|k, v| hash[k] = build_models(v, sub_type) }
+            data.each {|k, v| hash[k] = convert_to_type(v, sub_type) }
           end
         else
           # models, e.g. Pet
diff --git a/samples/client/petstore/ruby/lib/petstore/swagger/response.rb b/samples/client/petstore/ruby/lib/petstore/swagger/response.rb
index 0f72705f967d..6d85010d6da9 100644
--- a/samples/client/petstore/ruby/lib/petstore/swagger/response.rb
+++ b/samples/client/petstore/ruby/lib/petstore/swagger/response.rb
@@ -40,25 +40,30 @@ module Petstore
         end
 
         begin
-          data = JSON.parse(body, :symbolize_names => true)
+          data = JSON.parse("[#{body}]", :symbolize_names => true)[0]
         rescue JSON::ParserError => e
-          if return_type == 'String'
-            return body
+          if %w(String Date DateTime).include?(return_type)
+            data = body
           else
             raise e
           end
         end
 
-        build_models data, return_type
+        convert_to_type data, return_type
       end
 
-      # Walk through the given data and, when necessary, build model(s) from
-      # Hash data for array/hash values of the response.
-      def build_models(data, return_type)
+      # Convert data to the given return type.
+      def convert_to_type(data, return_type)
+        return nil if data.nil?
         case return_type
-        when 'String', 'Integer', 'Float', 'BOOLEAN'
-          # primitives, return directly
-          data
+        when 'String'
+          data.to_s
+        when 'Integer'
+          data.to_i
+        when 'Float'
+          data.to_f
+        when 'BOOLEAN'
+          data == true
         when 'DateTime'
           # parse date time (expecting ISO 8601 format)
           DateTime.parse data
@@ -71,12 +76,12 @@ module Petstore
         when /\AArray<(.+)>\z/
           # e.g. Array<Pet>
           sub_type = $1
-          data.map {|item| build_models(item, sub_type) }
+          data.map {|item| convert_to_type(item, sub_type) }
         when /\AHash\<String, (.+)\>\z/
           # e.g. Hash<String, Integer>
           sub_type = $1
           {}.tap do |hash|
-            data.each {|k, v| hash[k] = build_models(v, sub_type) }
+            data.each {|k, v| hash[k] = convert_to_type(v, sub_type) }
           end
         else
           # models, e.g. Pet