--- a/bitten/model.py
+++ b/bitten/model.py
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@
             Column('id', auto_increment=True), Column('config'), Column('name')
         ],
         Table('bitten_rule', key=('id', 'propname'))[
-            Column('id'), Column('propname'), Column('pattern'),
+            Column('id', type='int'), Column('propname'), Column('pattern'),
             Column('orderno', type='int')
         ]
     ]
@@ -979,4 +979,4 @@
 
 schema = BuildConfig._schema + TargetPlatform._schema + Build._schema + \
          BuildStep._schema + BuildLog._schema + Report._schema
-schema_version = 8
+schema_version = 9

--- a/bitten/upgrades.py
+++ b/bitten/upgrades.py
@@ -337,6 +337,23 @@
         "When you have confirmed that the migration worked correctly, "
         "you can drop the bitten_log_message table in the database (it remains as a backup)", logs_dir)
 
+def recreate_rule_with_int_id(env, db):
+        """Recreates the bitten_rule table with an integer id column rather than a text one."""
+        from trac.db import Table, Column
+        from bitten.model import TargetPlatform
+        cursor = db.cursor()
+        connector, _ = DatabaseManager(env)._get_connector()
+
+        for table in TargetPlatform._schema:
+            if table.name is 'bitten_rule':
+                env.log.info("Migrating bitten_rule table to integer ids")
+                cursor.execute("CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE old_rule AS SELECT * FROM bitten_rule")
+                cursor.execute("DROP TABLE bitten_rule")
+                for stmt in connector.to_sql(table):
+                    cursor.execute(stmt)
+                cursor.execute("INSERT INTO bitten_rule (id,propname,pattern,orderno) SELECT %s,propname,pattern,orderno FROM old_rule" % db.cast('id', 'int'))
+
+
 map = {
     2: [add_log_table],
     3: [add_recipe_to_config],
@@ -345,4 +362,5 @@
     6: [normalize_file_paths, fixup_generators],
     7: [add_error_table],
     8: [add_filename_to_logs,migrate_logs_to_files],
+    9: [recreate_rule_with_int_id],
 }