diff --git a/infra/bots/gen_tasks.go b/infra/bots/gen_tasks.go
index 70c293873f..077c709a8a 100644
--- a/infra/bots/gen_tasks.go
+++ b/infra/bots/gen_tasks.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ var (
 
 	// internalHardwareLabelFn can be set in an init function to provide an
 	// internal_hardware_label variable to the recipe.
-	internalHardwareLabelFn func(parts map[string]string) *string
+	internalHardwareLabelFn func(parts map[string]string) *int
 
 	// Defines the structure of job names.
 	jobNameSchema *JobNameSchema
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 // internalHardwareLabel returns the internal ID for the bot, if any.
-func internalHardwareLabel(parts map[string]string) *string {
+func internalHardwareLabel(parts map[string]string) *int {
 	if internalHardwareLabelFn != nil {
 		return internalHardwareLabelFn(parts)
 	}
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ func test(b *specs.TasksCfgBuilder, name string, parts map[string]string, compil
 	}
 	iid := internalHardwareLabel(parts)
 	if iid != nil {
-		s.ExtraArgs = append(s.ExtraArgs, fmt.Sprintf("internal_hardware_label=%s", *iid))
+		s.ExtraArgs = append(s.ExtraArgs, fmt.Sprintf("internal_hardware_label=%d", *iid))
 	}
 	b.MustAddTask(name, s)
 
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ func perf(b *specs.TasksCfgBuilder, name string, parts map[string]string, compil
 	}
 	iid := internalHardwareLabel(parts)
 	if iid != nil {
-		s.ExtraArgs = append(s.ExtraArgs, fmt.Sprintf("internal_hardware_label=%s", *iid))
+		s.ExtraArgs = append(s.ExtraArgs, fmt.Sprintf("internal_hardware_label=%d", *iid))
 	}
 	b.MustAddTask(name, s)
 
diff --git a/infra/bots/recipes/test.py b/infra/bots/recipes/test.py
index bbd80f220b..1f1a6e8d1d 100644
--- a/infra/bots/recipes/test.py
+++ b/infra/bots/recipes/test.py
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ def dm_flags(api, bot):
       args.extend(['--pr', 'ccpr'])
 
     # Bogus test for internal bot.
-    if api.vars.internal_hardware_label == '0':
+    if api.vars.internal_hardware_label == 0:
       args.append('--internal0')
 
   args.append('--config')
@@ -1096,7 +1096,7 @@ def GenTests(api):
                    revision='abc123',
                    path_config='kitchen',
                    swarm_out_dir='[SWARM_OUT_DIR]',
-                   internal_hardware_label='0') +
+                   internal_hardware_label=0) +
     api.path.exists(
         api.path['start_dir'].join('skia'),
         api.path['start_dir'].join('skia', 'infra', 'bots', 'assets',