diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/DeserializationFeature.java b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/DeserializationFeature.java
index f0e4c8f68e..e79822cc83 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/DeserializationFeature.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/DeserializationFeature.java
@@ -459,7 +459,24 @@ public enum DeserializationFeature implements ConfigFeature
      * 
      * @since 2.1
      */
-    EAGER_DESERIALIZER_FETCH(true)
+    EAGER_DESERIALIZER_FETCH(true),
+
+    /**
+     * Feature that determines whether JSON string mapping are valid
+     * values to be used to map to ordinal() of matching enumeration value
+     * for deserializing Java enum values when string itself is a number.
+     * If set to 'false' string are acceptable as ordinal values when
+     * and are used to map to
+     * ordinal() of matching enumeration value; if 'true', strings are
+     * not allowed to be ordinal mapping and
+     * a {@link JsonMappingException} will be thrown.
+     * Latter behavior makes sense if there is concern that accidental
+     * mapping from string values to enums ordinal might happen (and when enums
+     * are always serialized as JSON Strings)
+     *<p>
+     * Feature is disabled by default.
+     */
+    FAIL_ON_ORDINAL_STRING_MAPPING_FOR_ENUMS(false)
     
     ;
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/EnumDeserializer.java b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/EnumDeserializer.java
index 18923cdd4f..e20e8cf33b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/EnumDeserializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/EnumDeserializer.java
@@ -234,6 +234,11 @@ private final Object _deserializeAltString(JsonParser p, DeserializationContext
                     try {
                         int index = Integer.parseInt(name);
                         if (index >= 0 && index < _enumsByIndex.length) {
+                            if (ctxt.isEnabled(DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_ORDINAL_STRING_MAPPING_FOR_ENUMS)) {
+                                return ctxt.handleWeirdStringValue(_enumClass(), name,
+                                        "not allowed to deserialize Enum value by ordinal out of string: disable DeserializationConfig.DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_ORDINAL_STRING_MAPPING_FOR_ENUMS to allow"
+                                );
+                            }
                             return _enumsByIndex[index];
                         }
                     } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/jdk/EnumDeserializationTest.java b/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/jdk/EnumDeserializationTest.java
index efdffaf7db..d367fb3a2e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/jdk/EnumDeserializationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/jdk/EnumDeserializationTest.java
@@ -306,6 +306,22 @@ public void testEnumsWithJsonValue() throws Exception
         e = MAPPER.readValue(quote("bar"), EnumWithJsonValue.class);
         assertSame(EnumWithJsonValue.B, e);
 
+        // then, enum as string ordinal
+        EnumWithJsonValue enumByStringOrdinal = MAPPER.readValue(quote("0"), EnumWithJsonValue.class);
+        assertSame(EnumWithJsonValue.A, enumByStringOrdinal);
+        enumByStringOrdinal = MAPPER.readValue(quote("1"), EnumWithJsonValue.class);
+        assertSame(EnumWithJsonValue.B, enumByStringOrdinal);
+
+        // but can also be changed to errors:
+        ObjectReader r = MAPPER.readerFor(EnumWithJsonValue.class)
+                .with(DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_ORDINAL_STRING_MAPPING_FOR_ENUMS);;
+        try {
+            enumByStringOrdinal = r.readValue(quote("0"));
+            fail("Expected an error");
+        } catch (JsonMappingException exc) {
+            verifyException(exc, "Can not deserialize");
+            verifyException(exc, "not allowed to deserialize Enum value by ordinal out of string");
+        }
         // then in EnumSet
         EnumSet<EnumWithJsonValue> set = MAPPER.readValue("[\"bar\"]",
                 new TypeReference<EnumSet<EnumWithJsonValue>>() { });