diff --git a/include/rtm_map.h b/include/rtm_map.h
index 70bda7d0..d6e5885c 100644
--- a/include/rtm_map.h
+++ b/include/rtm_map.h
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 char *rtnl_rtntype_n2a(int id, char *buf, int len);
 int rtnl_rtntype_a2n(int *id, char *arg);
 
-int get_rt_realms(__u32 *realms, char *arg);
-
+int get_rt_realms_or_raw(__u32 *realms, char *arg);
 
 #endif /* __RTM_MAP_H__ */
diff --git a/ip/iproute.c b/ip/iproute.c
index b137f555..ae86cc0d 100644
--- a/ip/iproute.c
+++ b/ip/iproute.c
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ static int parse_one_nh(struct rtmsg *r, struct rtattr *rta,
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "realms") == 0) {
 			__u32 realm;
 			NEXT_ARG();
-			if (get_rt_realms(&realm, *argv))
+			if (get_rt_realms_or_raw(&realm, *argv))
 				invarg("\"realm\" value is invalid\n", *argv);
 			rta_addattr32(rta, 4096, RTA_FLOW, realm);
 			rtnh->rtnh_len += sizeof(struct rtattr) + 4;
@@ -1050,7 +1050,7 @@ static int iproute_modify(int cmd, unsigned flags, int argc, char **argv)
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "realms") == 0) {
 			__u32 realm;
 			NEXT_ARG();
-			if (get_rt_realms(&realm, *argv))
+			if (get_rt_realms_or_raw(&realm, *argv))
 				invarg("\"realm\" value is invalid\n", *argv);
 			addattr32(&req.n, sizeof(req), RTA_FLOW, realm);
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "onlink") == 0) {
@@ -1383,7 +1383,7 @@ static int iproute_list_flush_or_save(int argc, char **argv, int action)
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "realms") == 0) {
 			__u32 realm;
 			NEXT_ARG();
-			if (get_rt_realms(&realm, *argv))
+			if (get_rt_realms_or_raw(&realm, *argv))
 				invarg("invalid realms\n", *argv);
 			filter.realm = realm;
 			filter.realmmask = ~0U;
diff --git a/ip/iprule.c b/ip/iprule.c
index cec29246..9923b8eb 100644
--- a/ip/iprule.c
+++ b/ip/iprule.c
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ static int iprule_modify(int cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "realms") == 0) {
 			__u32 realm;
 			NEXT_ARG();
-			if (get_rt_realms(&realm, *argv))
+			if (get_rt_realms_or_raw(&realm, *argv))
 				invarg("invalid realms\n", *argv);
 			addattr32(&req.n, sizeof(req), FRA_FLOW, realm);
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "table") == 0 ||
diff --git a/ip/rtm_map.c b/ip/rtm_map.c
index 21e818b4..1d7d2c7e 100644
--- a/ip/rtm_map.c
+++ b/ip/rtm_map.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ int rtnl_rtntype_a2n(int *id, char *arg)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int get_rt_realms(__u32 *realms, char *arg)
+static int get_rt_realms(__u32 *realms, char *arg)
 {
 	__u32 realm = 0;
 	char *p = strchr(arg, '/');
@@ -114,3 +114,11 @@ int get_rt_realms(__u32 *realms, char *arg)
 	*realms |= realm;
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int get_rt_realms_or_raw(__u32 *realms, char *arg)
+{
+	if (!get_rt_realms(realms, arg))
+		return 0;
+
+	return get_unsigned(realms, arg, 0);
+}