diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 3ceac3f..9cd8803 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name = "Legolas"
 uuid = "741b9549-f6ed-4911-9fbf-4a1c0c97f0cd"
 authors = ["Beacon Biosignals, Inc."]
-version = "0.5.5"
+version = "0.5.6"
 
 [deps]
 Arrow = "69666777-d1a9-59fb-9406-91d4454c9d45"
diff --git a/src/schemas.jl b/src/schemas.jl
index 1e5ffa4..ff4591c 100644
--- a/src/schemas.jl
+++ b/src/schemas.jl
@@ -461,16 +461,18 @@ function _generate_record_type_definitions(schema_version::SchemaVersion, record
     field_definitions = Expr[]
     field_assignments = Expr[]
     for (fname, ftype) in pairs(record_fields)
-        fdef = :($fname::$(Base.Meta.quot(ftype)))
+        T = Base.Meta.quot(ftype)
+        fdef = :($fname::$T)
         info = get(declared_field_infos, fname, nothing)
         if !isnothing(info)
-            fstmt = info.statement
             if info.parameterize
                 T = Symbol("_", string(fname, "_T"))
                 push!(type_param_defs, :($T <: $(info.type)))
                 push!(names_of_parameterized_fields, fname)
                 fdef = :($fname::$T)
-                fstmt = :($fname = $(fstmt.args[2]))
+                fstmt = :($fname = $(info.statement.args[2]))
+            else
+                fstmt = :($fname = convert($T, $(info.statement.args[2]))::$T)
             end
             push!(field_assignments, fstmt)
         end
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 8f1984e..dd50491 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -442,3 +442,22 @@ end
 
 # overwriting another module's reserved schema name is disallowed
 @test_throws ArgumentError("A schema with this name was already declared by a different module: $A") @schema("a.cross", Cross)
+
+#####
+##### local field variable handling in record constructors (ref https://github.com/beacon-biosignals/Legolas.jl/issues/76)
+#####
+
+Legolas.@schema "unconstrained-field" UnconstrainedField
+
+Legolas.@version UnconstrainedFieldV1 begin
+    field::Any
+end
+
+Legolas.@schema "constrained-field" ConstrainedField
+
+Legolas.@version ConstrainedFieldV1 > UnconstrainedFieldV1 begin
+    field::Int = parse(Int, field)
+end
+
+c = ConstrainedFieldV1(field = "1")
+@test c.field == 1