diff --git a/beets/importer.py b/beets/importer.py
index 17c15429d..2e44d5cdb 100644
--- a/beets/importer.py
+++ b/beets/importer.py
@@ -729,6 +729,10 @@ def plugin_stage(func):
             continue
         func(task)
 
+        # Stage may modify DB, so re-load cached item data.
+        for item in task.imported_items():
+            config.lib.load(item)
+
 def manipulate_files():
     """A coroutine (pipeline stage) that performs necessary file
     manipulations *after* items have been added to the library.
@@ -739,7 +743,7 @@ def manipulate_files():
         if task.should_skip():
             continue
 
-        # Move/copy files.
+        # Move/copy/write files.
         items = task.imported_items()
         task.old_paths = [item.path for item in items]  # For deletion.
         for item in items:
diff --git a/beets/library.py b/beets/library.py
index 40265231e..ef97161a6 100644
--- a/beets/library.py
+++ b/beets/library.py
@@ -166,10 +166,7 @@ def _regexp(expr, val):
     """
     if expr is None:
         return False
-    if val is None:
-        val = u''
-    if not isinstance(val, basestring):
-        val = unicode(val)
+    val = util.as_string(val)
     try:
         res = re.search(expr, val)
     except re.error:
@@ -436,7 +433,7 @@ class SubstringQuery(FieldQuery):
         return clause, subvals
 
     def match(self, item):
-        value = getattr(item, self.field) or ''
+        value = util.as_string(getattr(item, self.field))
         return self.pattern.lower() in value.lower()
 
 class RegexpQuery(FieldQuery):
@@ -451,7 +448,7 @@ class RegexpQuery(FieldQuery):
         return clause, subvals
 
     def match(self, item):
-        value = getattr(item, self.field) or ''
+        value = util.as_string(getattr(item, self.field))
         return self.regexp.search(value) is not None
 
 class BooleanQuery(MatchQuery):
diff --git a/beets/util/__init__.py b/beets/util/__init__.py
index 380bfaf8e..6c29c7c0e 100644
--- a/beets/util/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/util/__init__.py
@@ -467,6 +467,15 @@ def str2bool(value):
     else:
         return False
 
+def as_string(value):
+    """Convert a value to a Unicode object for matching with a query.
+    None becomes the empty string.
+    """
+    if value is None:
+        return u''
+    else:
+        return unicode(value)
+
 def levenshtein(s1, s2):
     """A nice DP edit distance implementation from Wikibooks:
     http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Algorithm_implementation/Strings/
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 08ad9247d..03aab8744 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Changelog
 * Fix album queries for ``artpath`` and other non-item fields.
 * Null values in the database can now be matched with the empty-string regular
   expression, ``^$``.
+* Queries now correctly match non-string values in path format predicates.
 * :doc:`/plugins/fetchart`: Fix a bug where cover art filenames could lack
   a ``.jpg`` extension.
 * :doc:`/plugins/lyrics`: Fix an exception with non-ASCII lyrics.
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ Changelog
 * Add the track mapping dictionary to the ``album_distance`` plugin function.
 * Fix an assertion failure when the MusicBrainz main database and search server
   disagree.
+* Fix a bug that caused the :doc:`/plugins/lastgenre` and other plugins not to
+  modify files' tags even when they successfully change the database.
 
 .. _Tomahawk resolver: http://beets.radbox.org/blog/tomahawk-resolver.html
 
diff --git a/test/test_query.py b/test/test_query.py
index 5a4debefc..eae9abced 100644
--- a/test/test_query.py
+++ b/test/test_query.py
@@ -302,6 +302,34 @@ class MemoryGetTest(unittest.TestCase, AssertsMixin):
         self.assert_matched(results, u'caf\xe9')
         self.assert_done(results)
 
+class MatchTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.item = _common.item()
+
+    def test_regex_match_positive(self):
+        q = beets.library.RegexpQuery('album', '^the album$')
+        self.assertTrue(q.match(self.item))
+
+    def test_regex_match_negative(self):
+        q = beets.library.RegexpQuery('album', '^album$')
+        self.assertFalse(q.match(self.item))
+
+    def test_regex_match_non_string_value(self):
+        q = beets.library.RegexpQuery('disc', '^6$')
+        self.assertTrue(q.match(self.item))
+
+    def test_substring_match_positive(self):
+        q = beets.library.SubstringQuery('album', 'album')
+        self.assertTrue(q.match(self.item))
+
+    def test_substring_match_negative(self):
+        q = beets.library.SubstringQuery('album', 'ablum')
+        self.assertFalse(q.match(self.item))
+
+    def test_substring_match_non_string_value(self):
+        q = beets.library.SubstringQuery('disc', '6')
+        self.assertTrue(q.match(self.item))
+
 class PathQueryTest(unittest.TestCase, AssertsMixin):
     def setUp(self):
         self.lib = beets.library.Library(':memory:')