diff --git a/src/dispatch.rs b/src/dispatch.rs
index cea80bd..eb784fd 100644
--- a/src/dispatch.rs
+++ b/src/dispatch.rs
@@ -634,6 +634,7 @@ pub async fn run_rsgi(
         body_model,
         body_param_name,
         rate_limiter,
+        wildcard_params,
     ) = Python::with_gil(|_py| -> PyResult<_> {
         let e = routes_arc
             .get(route_idx)
@@ -653,6 +654,7 @@ pub async fn run_rsgi(
             e.body_model.clone(),
             e.extra.body_param_name.clone(),
             e.extra.rate_limiter.clone(),
+            Arc::clone(&e.extra.wildcard_params),
         ))
     })?;
     if let Some(ref rl) = rate_limiter {
@@ -1111,7 +1113,14 @@ pub async fn run_rsgi(
         }
         let kwargs = PyDict::new(py);
         for (k, v) in params.iter() {
-            let vpy = value_for_path_param(py, v);
+            // A `*name` catch-all always stays `str` (it may contain slashes and is often a
+            // filename, e.g. under `StaticFiles`); only single-segment `:name` params get the
+            // int/float/bool schema-lite coercion (issue #212).
+            let vpy = if wildcard_params.contains(k) {
+                pyo3::types::PyString::new(py, v).into_any().unbind()
+            } else {
+                value_for_path_param(py, v)
+            };
             kwargs.set_item(k, vpy)?;
         }
         if !query_map.is_empty() {
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 587532e..ca2524f 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,30 @@ fn handler_signature_kinds(
     Ok((names, w))
 }
 
+/// Names of `*name` catch-all path params in a matchit-style route template (as opposed to
+/// single-segment `:name` params). See [`state::RouteExtra::wildcard_params`].
+fn wildcard_param_names(path: &str) -> HashSet<String> {
+    let mut out = HashSet::new();
+    let chars: Vec<char> = path.chars().collect();
+    let mut i = 0;
+    while i < chars.len() {
+        if chars[i] == '*' {
+            i += 1;
+            let start = i;
+            while i < chars.len() && (chars[i].is_ascii_alphanumeric() || chars[i] == '_') {
+                i += 1;
+            }
+            let name: String = chars[start..i].iter().collect();
+            if !name.is_empty() {
+                out.insert(name);
+            }
+        } else {
+            i += 1;
+        }
+    }
+    out
+}
+
 fn parse_algorithm(s: &str) -> PyResult<jsonwebtoken::Algorithm> {
     jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::from_str(s).map_err(|_| {
         pyo3::exceptions::PyValueError::new_err(
@@ -477,6 +501,7 @@ impl App {
             handler_param_names: Arc::new(handler_param_names),
             body_param_name: body_param_name.unwrap_or_else(|| "json".to_string()),
             rate_limiter,
+            wildcard_params: Arc::new(wildcard_param_names(&path)),
         });
         routes.push(state::RouteEntry {
             handler,
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
index dd94f92..0fcb932 100644
--- a/src/state.rs
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -108,6 +108,12 @@ pub struct RouteExtra {
     pub handler_param_names: Arc<HashSet<String>>,
     pub body_param_name: String,
     pub rate_limiter: Option<Arc<crate::rate_limit::RateLimiter>>,
+    /// Path params captured by a `*name` catch-all segment (as opposed to a single-segment
+    /// `:name` param). A catch-all captures an arbitrary sub-path — potentially containing
+    /// slashes, and often a filename — so it must always reach the handler as `str`, never
+    /// coerced to `int`/`float`/`bool` (issue #212: this coercion previously broke
+    /// `StaticFiles` on any file whose name looked like a number, e.g. `/static/42`).
+    pub wildcard_params: Arc<HashSet<String>>,
 }
 
 /// Compact 32-byte route entry fitting comfortably inside a single 64-byte L1D cache line.
diff --git a/tests/test_path_param_coercion.py b/tests/test_path_param_coercion.py
index b42f91d..05d0520 100644
--- a/tests/test_path_param_coercion.py
+++ b/tests/test_path_param_coercion.py
@@ -66,3 +66,24 @@ def get_item(val: object):
         resp = client.get("/items/false")
         assert resp.status_code == 200
         assert resp.json() == {"val": False, "type": "bool"}
+
+
+def test_wildcard_path_param_is_never_coerced():
+    """issue #212: a `*rest` catch-all always stays `str`, even for numeric-looking /
+    boolean-looking segments — only single-segment `:name` params get schema-lite coercion."""
+    app = App()
+
+    @app.get("/files/*rest")
+    def get_file(rest):
+        return {"rest": rest, "type": type(rest).__name__}
+
+    with TestClient(app) as client:
+        for value, expected in [
+            ("42", "42"),
+            ("true", "true"),
+            ("3.14", "3.14"),
+            ("a/b/42", "a/b/42"),
+        ]:
+            resp = client.get(f"/files/{value}")
+            assert resp.status_code == 200
+            assert resp.json() == {"rest": expected, "type": "str"}
diff --git a/tests/test_static.py b/tests/test_static.py
index f9ee941..d98d5d5 100644
--- a/tests/test_static.py
+++ b/tests/test_static.py
@@ -20,6 +20,22 @@ def test_static_files():
             assert resp.headers["content-type"] == "text/plain"
 
 
+def test_static_files_numeric_filename():
+    """issue #212: a wildcard `*path` catch-all must stay `str` — a file whose name looks
+    like an int/float/bool must not be schema-lite coerced and break `.split("/")`."""
+    with TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+        with open(os.path.join(tmpdir, "42"), "w") as f:
+            f.write("the answer")
+
+        app = App()
+        app.mount("/static", StaticFiles(tmpdir))
+
+        with TestClient(app) as client:
+            resp = client.get("/static/42")
+            assert resp.status_code == 200
+            assert resp.content == b"the answer"
+
+
 def test_static_files_missing():
     with TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
         app = App()