diff --git a/lib/zclient.c b/lib/zclient.c
index a1de831..eb8de1a 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.c
+++ b/lib/zclient.c
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@
   if (CHECK_FLAG (api->message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_MTU))
     stream_putl (s, api->mtu);
   if (CHECK_FLAG (api->message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_TAG))
-    stream_putw (s, api->tag);
+    stream_putl (s, api->tag);
 
   /* Put length at the first point of the stream. */
   stream_putw_at (s, 0, stream_get_endp (s));
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@
   if (CHECK_FLAG (api->message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_MTU))
     stream_putl (s, api->mtu);
   if (CHECK_FLAG (api->message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_TAG))
-    stream_putw (s, api->tag);
+    stream_putl (s, api->tag);
 
   /* Put length at the first point of the stream. */
   stream_putw_at (s, 0, stream_get_endp (s));
diff --git a/lib/zclient.h b/lib/zclient.h
index 810c927..d46728d 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.h
+++ b/lib/zclient.h
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 
   u_char distance;
 
-  u_short tag;
+  route_tag_t tag;
 
   u_int32_t metric;
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
 
   u_char distance;
 
-  u_short tag;
+  route_tag_t tag;
 
   u_int32_t metric;
 
diff --git a/lib/zebra.h b/lib/zebra.h
index a75eb6d..a405d46 100644
--- a/lib/zebra.h
+++ b/lib/zebra.h
@@ -535,4 +535,7 @@
 /* VRF ID type. */
 typedef u_int16_t vrf_id_t;
 
+typedef uint32_t route_tag_t;
+#define ROUTE_TAG_MAX UINT32_MAX
+
 #endif /* _ZEBRA_H */