diff --git a/NodeInstance.py b/NodeInstance.py
index 437a19d3..a152b91b 100644
--- a/NodeInstance.py
+++ b/NodeInstance.py
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class NodeInstance():
             self.zk.set(self.zkey + '/memfree', str(self.memfree).encode('ascii'))
             self.zk.set(self.zkey + '/cpuload', str(self.cpuload).encode('ascii'))
             self.zk.set(self.zkey + '/runningdomains', ' '.join(self.domain_list).encode('ascii'))
-            self.zk.set(self.zkey + '/keepalive', keepalive_time.encode('ascii'))
+            self.zk.set(self.zkey + '/keepalive', str(keepalive_time).encode('ascii'))
         except:
             return
 
diff --git a/pvcd.py b/pvcd.py
index 18c20161..af33da2e 100755
--- a/pvcd.py
+++ b/pvcd.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ else:
     zk.create('%s/memfree' % mynodestring, '0'.encode('ascii'))
     zk.create('%s/cpuload' % mynodestring, '0.0'.encode('ascii'))
     zk.create('%s/runningdomains' % mynodestring, ''.encode('ascii'))
-    zk.create('%s/keepalive' % mynodestring, keepalive_time.encode('ascii'))
+    zk.create('%s/keepalive' % mynodestring, str(keepalive_time).encode('ascii'))
 
 t_node = dict()
 s_domain = dict()