diff --git a/modules/vstudio/tests/vc2010/test_compile_settings.lua b/modules/vstudio/tests/vc2010/test_compile_settings.lua
index 8c070981..0900c808 100644
--- a/modules/vstudio/tests/vc2010/test_compile_settings.lua
+++ b/modules/vstudio/tests/vc2010/test_compile_settings.lua
@@ -1244,7 +1244,7 @@
 --
 
 	function suite.structMemberAlignment()
-		structmemberalign "1Byte"
+		structmemberalign(1)
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
 <ClCompile>
diff --git a/modules/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua b/modules/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
index f0d1a216..8bc46698 100644
--- a/modules/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
+++ b/modules/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
@@ -1347,8 +1347,17 @@
 	end
 
 	function m.structMemberAlignment(cfg)
-		if cfg.structmemberalign then
-			m.element("StructMemberAlignment", nil, cfg.structmemberalign)
+		local map = {
+			[1] = "1Byte",
+			[2] = "2Bytes",
+			[4] = "4Bytes",
+			[8] = "8Bytes",
+			[16] = "16Bytes"
+		}
+
+		local value = map[cfg.structmemberalign]
+		if value then
+			m.element("StructMemberAlignment", nil, value)
 		end
 	end
 
diff --git a/src/_premake_init.lua b/src/_premake_init.lua
index f20206d5..39f0c6dc 100644
--- a/src/_premake_init.lua
+++ b/src/_premake_init.lua
@@ -1339,13 +1339,13 @@
 	p.api.register {
 		name = "structmemberalign",
 		scope = "config",
-		kind = "string",
+		kind = "integer",
 		allowed = {
-			"1Byte",
-			"2Bytes",
-			"4Bytes",
-			"8Bytes",
-			"16Bytes",
+			"1",
+			"2",
+			"4",
+			"8",
+			"16",
 		}
 	}