diff --git a/lib/realtime_web/channels/payloads/config.ex b/lib/realtime_web/channels/payloads/config.ex
index 923020174..029aa93b5 100644
--- a/lib/realtime_web/channels/payloads/config.ex
+++ b/lib/realtime_web/channels/payloads/config.ex
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@ defmodule RealtimeWeb.Channels.Payloads.Config do
   end
 
   def changeset(config, attrs) do
+    attrs =
+      attrs
+      |> Enum.map(fn
+        {k, v} when is_list(v) -> {k, Enum.filter(v, fn v -> v != nil end)}
+        {k, v} -> {k, v}
+      end)
+      |> Map.new()
+
     config
     |> cast(attrs, [:private], message: &Join.error_message/2)
     |> cast_embed(:broadcast, invalid_message: "unable to parse, expected a map")
diff --git a/lib/realtime_web/channels/payloads/presence.ex b/lib/realtime_web/channels/payloads/presence.ex
index 53e09047d..785df9222 100644
--- a/lib/realtime_web/channels/payloads/presence.ex
+++ b/lib/realtime_web/channels/payloads/presence.ex
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ defmodule RealtimeWeb.Channels.Payloads.Presence do
 
   embedded_schema do
     field :enabled, :boolean, default: true
-    field :key, :string, default: UUID.uuid1()
+    field :key, :any, default: UUID.uuid1(), virtual: true
   end
 
   def changeset(presence, attrs) do
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index dcba5be5e..06229331c 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ defmodule Realtime.MixProject do
   def project do
     [
       app: :realtime,
-      version: "2.53.2",
+      version: "2.53.3",
       elixir: "~> 1.17.3",
       elixirc_paths: elixirc_paths(Mix.env()),
       start_permanent: Mix.env() == :prod,
diff --git a/test/realtime_web/channels/payloads/join_test.exs b/test/realtime_web/channels/payloads/join_test.exs
index c1ea54a67..f02c2a73d 100644
--- a/test/realtime_web/channels/payloads/join_test.exs
+++ b/test/realtime_web/channels/payloads/join_test.exs
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ defmodule RealtimeWeb.Channels.Payloads.JoinTest do
       assert is_binary(key)
     end
 
+    test "presence key can be number" do
+      config = %{"config" => %{"presence" => %{"enabled" => true, "key" => 123}}}
+
+      assert {:ok, %Join{config: %Config{presence: %Presence{key: key}}}} = Join.validate(config)
+
+      assert key == 123
+    end
+
     test "invalid replay" do
       config = %{"config" => %{"broadcast" => %{"replay" => 123}}}
 
@@ -105,5 +113,11 @@ defmodule RealtimeWeb.Channels.Payloads.JoinTest do
                user_token: ["unable to parse, expected string"]
              }
     end
+
+    test "handles postgres changes with nil value in array as empty array" do
+      config = %{"config" => %{"postgres_changes" => [nil]}}
+
+      assert {:ok, %Join{config: %Config{postgres_changes: []}}} = Join.validate(config)
+    end
   end
 end