diff --git a/rule.go b/rule.go
index 9d74c7cd8..b4a02f8a2 100644
--- a/rule.go
+++ b/rule.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type Rule struct {
 	Invert            bool
 	Dport             *RulePortRange
 	Sport             *RulePortRange
-	IPProto           int
+	IPProto           int // IPProto is represented as uint8 in the kernel and will be truncated before sending
 	UIDRange          *RuleUIDRange
 	Protocol          uint8
 	Type              uint8
diff --git a/rule_linux.go b/rule_linux.go
index 901744769..2db9ea406 100644
--- a/rule_linux.go
+++ b/rule_linux.go
@@ -154,9 +154,7 @@ func ruleHandle(rule *Rule, req *nl.NetlinkRequest) error {
 	}
 
 	if rule.IPProto > 0 {
-		b := make([]byte, 4)
-		native.PutUint32(b, uint32(rule.IPProto))
-		req.AddData(nl.NewRtAttr(nl.FRA_IP_PROTO, b))
+		req.AddData(nl.NewRtAttr(nl.FRA_IP_PROTO, []byte{byte(rule.IPProto)}))
 	}
 
 	if rule.Dport != nil {
@@ -282,7 +280,7 @@ func (h *Handle) RuleListFiltered(family int, filter *Rule, filterMask uint64) (
 			case nl.FRA_PRIORITY:
 				rule.Priority = int(native.Uint32(attrs[j].Value[0:4]))
 			case nl.FRA_IP_PROTO:
-				rule.IPProto = int(native.Uint32(attrs[j].Value[0:4]))
+				rule.IPProto = int(attrs[j].Value[0])
 			case nl.FRA_DPORT_RANGE:
 				rule.Dport = NewRulePortRange(native.Uint16(attrs[j].Value[0:2]), native.Uint16(attrs[j].Value[2:4]))
 			case nl.FRA_SPORT_RANGE: