diff --git a/grade/report/grader/lib.php b/grade/report/grader/lib.php
index 9f0217a5625..15d94cfb306 100644
--- a/grade/report/grader/lib.php
+++ b/grade/report/grader/lib.php
@@ -1994,7 +1994,7 @@ class grade_report_grader extends grade_report {
      *
      * @return int The maximum number of students to display per page
      */
-    public function get_students_per_page() {
-        return $this->get_pref('studentsperpage');
+    public function get_students_per_page(): int {
+        return (int) $this->get_pref('studentsperpage');
     }
 }
diff --git a/grade/report/grader/settings.php b/grade/report/grader/settings.php
index 300543a68d3..61fc6d67137 100644
--- a/grade/report/grader/settings.php
+++ b/grade/report/grader/settings.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ if ($ADMIN->fulltree) {
 
     /// Add settings for this module to the $settings object (it's already defined)
     $settings->add(new admin_setting_configtext('grade_report_studentsperpage', get_string('studentsperpage', 'grades'),
-                                            get_string('studentsperpage_help', 'grades'), 100));
+                                            get_string('studentsperpage_help', 'grades'), 100, PARAM_INT));
 
     $settings->add(new admin_setting_configcheckbox('grade_report_showonlyactiveenrol', get_string('showonlyactiveenrol', 'grades'),
                                                 get_string('showonlyactiveenrol_help', 'grades'), 1));
diff --git a/grade/tests/report_graderlib_test.php b/grade/tests/report_graderlib_test.php
index 6e5351a276c..ab718155d83 100644
--- a/grade/tests/report_graderlib_test.php
+++ b/grade/tests/report_graderlib_test.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ require_once($CFG->dirroot.'/grade/report/grader/lib.php');
  * Tests grade_report_grader (the grader report)
  *
  * @package  core_grades
+ * @covers   \grade_report_grader
  * @category test
  * @copyright 2012 Andrew Davis
  * @license  http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU Public License
@@ -518,6 +519,47 @@ class report_graderlib_test extends \advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertCount(3, $result);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test loading report users when per page preferences are set
+     */
+    public function test_load_users_paging_preference(): void {
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+
+        $course = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_course();
+
+        // The report users will default to sorting by their lastname.
+        $user1 = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_and_enrol($course, 'student', ['lastname' => 'Apple']);
+        $user2 = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_and_enrol($course, 'student', ['lastname' => 'Banana']);
+        $user3 = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_and_enrol($course, 'student', ['lastname' => 'Carrot']);
+
+        // Set to empty string.
+        $report = $this->create_report($course);
+        $report->set_pref('studentsperpage', '');
+        $users = $report->load_users();
+        $this->assertEquals([$user1->id, $user2->id, $user3->id], array_column($users, 'id'));
+
+        // Set to valid value.
+        $report = $this->create_report($course);
+        $report->set_pref('studentsperpage', 2);
+        $users = $report->load_users();
+        $this->assertEquals([$user1->id, $user2->id], array_column($users, 'id'));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test getting students per page report preference
+     */
+    public function test_get_students_per_page(): void {
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+
+        $course = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_course();
+
+        $report = $this->create_report($course);
+        $report->set_pref('studentsperpage', 10);
+
+        $perpage = $report->get_students_per_page();
+        $this->assertSame(10, $perpage);
+    }
+
     private function create_grade_category($course) {
         static $cnt = 0;
         $cnt++;