diff --git a/data/converters/converters.go b/data/converters/converters.go
index 2ba967423..bb0bd6e3a 100644
--- a/data/converters/converters.go
+++ b/data/converters/converters.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 package converters
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
@@ -229,6 +230,10 @@ var JSONValueToFloat64 = data.FieldConverter{
 			fV = float64(iiV)
 			return fV, nil
 		}
+		nn, ok := v.(json.Number)
+		if ok {
+			return nn.Float64()
+		}
 		sV, ok := v.(string)
 		if ok {
 			return strconv.ParseFloat(sV, 64)
@@ -254,6 +259,14 @@ var JSONValueToInt64 = data.FieldConverter{
 		if ok {
 			return int64(fV), nil
 		}
+		ii, ok := v.(int)
+		if ok {
+			return int64(ii), nil
+		}
+		nn, ok := v.(json.Number)
+		if ok {
+			return nn.Int64()
+		}
 		return nil, toConversionError("float64", v)
 	},
 }
diff --git a/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/client.go b/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/client.go
index b84ae196a..37e01249d 100644
--- a/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/client.go
+++ b/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/client.go
@@ -46,16 +46,18 @@ func (c *simpleHTTPClient) QueryData(ctx context.Context, query QueryDataRequest
 	}
 	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
-	rsp, err := c.client.Do(req)
-	if err != nil {
-		return rsp.StatusCode, nil, err
-	}
-	defer rsp.Body.Close()
-
 	qdr := &backend.QueryDataResponse{}
-	iter, err := jsoniter.Parse(jsoniter.ConfigCompatibleWithStandardLibrary, rsp.Body, 1024*10)
-	if err == nil {
-		err = iter.ReadVal(qdr)
+	code := http.StatusNotFound // 404 for network requests etc
+	rsp, err := c.client.Do(req)
+	if rsp != nil {
+		code = rsp.StatusCode
+		defer rsp.Body.Close()
+		if err == nil {
+			iter, e2 := jsoniter.Parse(jsoniter.ConfigCompatibleWithStandardLibrary, rsp.Body, 1024*10)
+			if e2 == nil {
+				err = iter.ReadVal(qdr)
+			}
+		}
 	}
-	return rsp.StatusCode, qdr, err
+	return code, qdr, err
 }
diff --git a/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/client_test.go b/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/client_test.go
index b7915b0dd..d604e1a47 100644
--- a/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/client_test.go
+++ b/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/client_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+func TestClientWithBadURL(t *testing.T) {
+	client := v0alpha1.NewQueryDataClient("http://localhostXYZ:998/api/ds/query", nil, nil)
+	code, _, err := client.QueryData(context.Background(), v0alpha1.QueryDataRequest{})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, 404, code)
+}
+
 func TestQueryClient(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Skip()
 
@@ -30,7 +37,7 @@ func TestQueryClient(t *testing.T) {
 					"uid": "PD8C576611E62080A"
 				},
 				"csvContent": "a,b,c\n1,hello,true",
-				"hide": true
+				"hide": false
 			}
 		]
 	}`
diff --git a/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/query.go b/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/query.go
index a382f0ded..f079d0ed4 100644
--- a/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/query.go
+++ b/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/query.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"unsafe"
 
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana-plugin-sdk-go/backend"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana-plugin-sdk-go/data"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana-plugin-sdk-go/data/converters"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana-plugin-sdk-go/data/utils/jsoniter"
@@ -51,35 +52,59 @@ func (g *DataQuery) Set(key string, val any) *DataQuery {
 	case "refId":
 		g.RefID, _ = val.(string)
 	case "resultAssertions":
+		v, ok := val.(ResultAssertions)
+		if ok {
+			g.ResultAssertions = &v
+			return g
+		}
 		body, err := json.Marshal(val)
-		if err != nil {
-			_ = json.Unmarshal(body, &g.ResultAssertions)
+		if err == nil {
+			err = json.Unmarshal(body, &g.ResultAssertions)
+			if err != nil {
+				backend.Logger.Warn("error reading resultAssertions from value. %w", err)
+			}
 		}
 	case "timeRange":
+		v, ok := val.(TimeRange)
+		if ok {
+			g.TimeRange = &v
+			return g
+		}
 		body, err := json.Marshal(val)
-		if err != nil {
-			_ = json.Unmarshal(body, &g.TimeRange)
+		if err == nil {
+			err = json.Unmarshal(body, &g.TimeRange)
+			if err != nil {
+				backend.Logger.Warn("error reading timeRange from value. %w", err)
+			}
 		}
 	case "datasource":
+		v, ok := val.(DataSourceRef)
+		if ok {
+			g.Datasource = &v
+			return g
+		}
 		body, err := json.Marshal(val)
-		if err != nil {
-			_ = json.Unmarshal(body, &g.Datasource)
+		if err == nil {
+			err = json.Unmarshal(body, &g.Datasource)
+			if err != nil {
+				backend.Logger.Warn("error reading datasource from value. %w", err)
+			}
 		}
 	case "datasourceId":
 		v, err := converters.JSONValueToInt64.Converter(val)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err == nil {
 			g.DatasourceID, _ = v.(int64)
 		}
 	case "queryType":
 		g.QueryType, _ = val.(string)
 	case "maxDataPoints":
 		v, err := converters.JSONValueToInt64.Converter(val)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err == nil {
 			g.MaxDataPoints, _ = v.(int64)
 		}
 	case "intervalMs":
 		v, err := converters.JSONValueToFloat64.Converter(val)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err == nil {
 			g.IntervalMS, _ = v.(float64)
 		}
 	case "hide":
diff --git a/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/query_test.go b/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/query_test.go
index 51ba48ab9..fd1efd714 100644
--- a/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/query_test.go
+++ b/experimental/apis/data/v0alpha1/query_test.go
@@ -115,4 +115,15 @@ func TestQueryBuilders(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	require.Equal(t, "D", testQ3.QueryType)
 	require.Equal(t, "E", testQ3.GetString("extra"))
+
+	testQ3.Set("datasource", &DataSourceRef{Type: "TYPE", UID: "UID"})
+	require.NotNil(t, testQ3.Datasource)
+	require.Equal(t, "TYPE", testQ3.Datasource.Type)
+	require.Equal(t, "UID", testQ3.Datasource.UID)
+
+	testQ3.Set("datasource", map[string]any{"uid": "XYZ"})
+	require.Equal(t, "XYZ", testQ3.Datasource.UID)
+
+	testQ3.Set("maxDataPoints", 100)
+	require.Equal(t, int64(100), testQ3.MaxDataPoints)
 }