diff --git a/firehose.c b/firehose.c
index 6526ce0..ff8ec80 100644
--- a/firehose.c
+++ b/firehose.c
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ static int firehose_program(struct qdl_device *qdl, struct program *program, int
 	xml_setpropf(node, "SECTOR_SIZE_IN_BYTES", "%d", program->sector_size);
 	xml_setpropf(node, "num_partition_sectors", "%d", num_sectors);
 	xml_setpropf(node, "physical_partition_number", "%d", program->partition);
-	xml_setpropf(node, "start_sector", "%s", program->start_sector);
+	xml_setpropf(node, "start_sector", "%d", program->start_sector);
 	if (program->filename)
 		xml_setpropf(node, "filename", "%s", program->filename);
 
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ static int firehose_apply_patch(struct qdl_device *qdl, struct patch *patch)
 	xml_setpropf(node, "filename", "%s", patch->filename);
 	xml_setpropf(node, "physical_partition_number", "%d", patch->partition);
 	xml_setpropf(node, "size_in_bytes", "%d", patch->size_in_bytes);
-	xml_setpropf(node, "start_sector", "%s", patch->start_sector);
+	xml_setpropf(node, "start_sector", "%d", patch->start_sector);
 	xml_setpropf(node, "value", "%s", patch->value);
 
 	ret = firehose_write(qdl, doc);
diff --git a/program.c b/program.c
index da8d884..4c8abfb 100644
--- a/program.c
+++ b/program.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ int program_load(const char *program_file)
 		program->label = attr_as_string(node, "label", &errors);
 		program->num_sectors = attr_as_unsigned(node, "num_partition_sectors", &errors);
 		program->partition = attr_as_unsigned(node, "physical_partition_number", &errors);
-		program->start_sector = attr_as_string(node, "start_sector", &errors);
+		program->start_sector = attr_as_unsigned(node, "start_sector", &errors);
 
 		if (errors) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "[PROGRAM] errors while parsing program\n");
diff --git a/program.h b/program.h
index 40111de..3d51a8f 100644
--- a/program.h
+++ b/program.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ struct program {
 	const char *label;
 	unsigned num_sectors;
 	unsigned partition;
-	const char *start_sector;
+	unsigned start_sector;
 
 	struct program *next;
 };