diff --git a/include/netlink-private/types.h b/include/netlink-private/types.h
index 2642c8dd3..5da8f59de 100644
--- a/include/netlink-private/types.h
+++ b/include/netlink-private/types.h
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ struct rtnl_link
 	uint32_t			l_change;
 	uint32_t			l_mtu;
 	uint32_t			l_link;
-	uint32_t                        l_link_netnsid;
+	int32_t                         l_link_netnsid;
 	uint32_t			l_txqlen;
 	uint32_t			l_weight;
 	uint32_t			l_master;
diff --git a/include/netlink/attr.h b/include/netlink/attr.h
index b84b62e45..fd8e299f3 100644
--- a/include/netlink/attr.h
+++ b/include/netlink/attr.h
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ extern uint8_t		nla_get_u8(const struct nlattr *);
 extern int		nla_put_u8(struct nl_msg *, int, uint8_t);
 extern uint16_t		nla_get_u16(const struct nlattr *);
 extern int		nla_put_u16(struct nl_msg *, int, uint16_t);
+extern int32_t          nla_get_s32(const struct nlattr *);
+extern int              nla_put_s32(struct nl_msg *, int, int32_t);
 extern uint32_t		nla_get_u32(const struct nlattr *);
 extern int		nla_put_u32(struct nl_msg *, int, uint32_t);
 extern uint64_t		nla_get_u64(const struct nlattr *);
@@ -182,6 +184,15 @@ extern int		nla_is_nested(const struct nlattr *);
 #define NLA_PUT_U16(msg, attrtype, value) \
 	NLA_PUT_TYPE(msg, uint16_t, attrtype, value)
 
+/**
+ * Add 32 bit integer attribute to netlink message.
+ * @arg msg		Netlink message.
+ * @arg attrtype	Attribute type.
+ * @arg value		Numeric value.
+ */
+#define NLA_PUT_S32(msg, attrtype, value) \
+	NLA_PUT_TYPE(msg, int32_t, attrtype, value)
+
 /**
  * Add 32 bit integer attribute to netlink message.
  * @arg msg		Netlink message.
diff --git a/include/netlink/route/link.h b/include/netlink/route/link.h
index d8d4e82fc..f7303f2ff 100644
--- a/include/netlink/route/link.h
+++ b/include/netlink/route/link.h
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ extern uint8_t	rtnl_link_get_operstate(struct rtnl_link *);
 extern void	rtnl_link_set_linkmode(struct rtnl_link *, uint8_t);
 extern uint8_t	rtnl_link_get_linkmode(struct rtnl_link *);
 
-int             rtnl_link_set_link_netnsid(struct rtnl_link *link, uint32_t link_netnsid);
-int             rtnl_link_get_link_netnsid(const struct rtnl_link *link, uint32_t *out_link_netnsid);
+int             rtnl_link_set_link_netnsid(struct rtnl_link *link, int32_t link_netnsid);
+int             rtnl_link_get_link_netnsid(const struct rtnl_link *link, int32_t *out_link_netnsid);
 
 extern const char *	rtnl_link_get_ifalias(struct rtnl_link *);
 extern void		rtnl_link_set_ifalias(struct rtnl_link *, const char *);
diff --git a/lib/attr.c b/lib/attr.c
index 838d0a94b..86284ee10 100644
--- a/lib/attr.c
+++ b/lib/attr.c
@@ -601,6 +601,31 @@ uint16_t nla_get_u16(const struct nlattr *nla)
 	return *(const uint16_t *) nla_data(nla);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Add 32 bit integer attribute to netlink message.
+ * @arg msg		Netlink message.
+ * @arg attrtype	Attribute type.
+ * @arg value		Numeric value to store as payload.
+ *
+ * @see nla_put
+ * @return 0 on success or a negative error code.
+ */
+int nla_put_s32(struct nl_msg *msg, int attrtype, int32_t value)
+{
+	return nla_put(msg, attrtype, sizeof(int32_t), &value);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Return payload of 32 bit integer attribute.
+ * @arg nla		32 bit integer attribute.
+ *
+ * @return Payload as 32 bit integer.
+ */
+int32_t nla_get_s32(const struct nlattr *nla)
+{
+	return *(const int32_t *) nla_data(nla);
+}
+
 /**
  * Add 32 bit integer attribute to netlink message.
  * @arg msg		Netlink message.
diff --git a/lib/route/link.c b/lib/route/link.c
index 550a071c3..81917d31f 100644
--- a/lib/route/link.c
+++ b/lib/route/link.c
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ int rtnl_link_info_parse(struct rtnl_link *link, struct nlattr **tb)
 	}
 
 	if (tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID]) {
-		link->l_link_netnsid = nla_get_u32(tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID]);
+		link->l_link_netnsid = nla_get_s32(tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID]);
 		link->ce_mask |= LINK_ATTR_LINK_NETNSID;
 	}
 
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ static void link_dump_line(struct nl_object *obj, struct nl_dump_params *p)
 			nl_dump(p, "slave-of %d ", link->l_link);
 	}
 	if (link->ce_mask & LINK_ATTR_LINK_NETNSID)
-		nl_dump(p, "link-netnsid %u ", link->l_link_netnsid);
+		nl_dump(p, "link-netnsid %d ", link->l_link_netnsid);
 
 	if (link->ce_mask & LINK_ATTR_GROUP)
 		nl_dump(p, "group %u ", link->l_group);
@@ -1305,7 +1305,7 @@ int rtnl_link_fill_info(struct nl_msg *msg, struct rtnl_link *link)
 		NLA_PUT_U32(msg, IFLA_LINK, link->l_link);
 
 	if (link->ce_mask & LINK_ATTR_LINK_NETNSID)
-		NLA_PUT_U32(msg, IFLA_LINK_NETNSID, link->l_link_netnsid);
+		NLA_PUT_S32(msg, IFLA_LINK_NETNSID, link->l_link_netnsid);
 
 	if (link->ce_mask & LINK_ATTR_MASTER)
 		NLA_PUT_U32(msg, IFLA_MASTER, link->l_master);
@@ -2007,7 +2007,7 @@ int rtnl_link_get_link(struct rtnl_link *link)
  * Sets the IFLA_LINK_NETNSID attribute of the link
  * @returns 0 on success
  */
-int rtnl_link_set_link_netnsid(struct rtnl_link *link, uint32_t link_netnsid)
+int rtnl_link_set_link_netnsid(struct rtnl_link *link, int32_t link_netnsid)
 {
 	link->l_link_netnsid = link_netnsid;
 	link->ce_mask |= LINK_ATTR_LINK_NETNSID;
@@ -2024,7 +2024,7 @@ int rtnl_link_set_link_netnsid(struct rtnl_link *link, uint32_t link_netnsid)
  *
  * @returns 0 on success
  */
-int rtnl_link_get_link_netnsid(const struct rtnl_link *link, uint32_t *out_link_netnsid)
+int rtnl_link_get_link_netnsid(const struct rtnl_link *link, int32_t *out_link_netnsid)
 {
 	if (!(link->ce_mask & LINK_ATTR_LINK_NETNSID))
 		return -NLE_INVAL;
diff --git a/libnl-3.sym b/libnl-3.sym
index 621bfe05f..a467ab234 100644
--- a/libnl-3.sym
+++ b/libnl-3.sym
@@ -334,3 +334,9 @@ libnl_3_2_26 {
 global:
 	nl_socket_set_fd;
 } libnl_3;
+
+libnl_3_2_27 {
+global:
+	nla_get_s32;
+	nla_put_s32;
+} libnl_3_2_26;