diff --git a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php
index 0c3e105273..4522f7eead 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ class WP_User_Query {
 		 * @param string $sql The SELECT FOUND_ROWS() query for the current WP_User_Query.
 		 */
 		if ( isset( $qv['count_total'] ) && $qv['count_total'] )
-			$this->total_users = $wpdb->get_var( apply_filters( 'found_users_query', 'SELECT FOUND_ROWS()' ) );
+			$this->total_users = (int) $wpdb->get_var( apply_filters( 'found_users_query', 'SELECT FOUND_ROWS()' ) );
 
 		if ( !$this->results )
 			return;
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/query.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/query.php
index 1f1c9a8dd8..2cadc916fe 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/query.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/query.php
@@ -124,6 +124,16 @@ class Tests_User_Query extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 39297
+	 */
+	public function test_get_total_is_int() {
+		$users = new WP_User_Query( array( 'blog_id' => get_current_blog_id() ) );
+		$total_users = $users->get_total();
+
+		$this->assertSame( 13, $total_users );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @dataProvider orderby_should_convert_non_prefixed_keys_data
 	 */