diff --git a/barbican/plugin/dogtag.py b/barbican/plugin/dogtag.py
index 5401bce15..3d2f68a7c 100644
--- a/barbican/plugin/dogtag.py
+++ b/barbican/plugin/dogtag.py
@@ -118,10 +118,11 @@ def create_connection(conf, subsystem_path):
     pem_path = conf.dogtag_plugin.pem_path
     if pem_path is None:
         raise ValueError(u._("pem_path is required"))
+    # port is string type in PKIConnection
     connection = pki.client.PKIConnection(
         'https',
         conf.dogtag_plugin.dogtag_host,
-        conf.dogtag_plugin.dogtag_port,
+        str(conf.dogtag_plugin.dogtag_port),
         subsystem_path)
     connection.set_authentication_cert(pem_path)
     return connection
diff --git a/barbican/plugin/dogtag_config_opts.py b/barbican/plugin/dogtag_config_opts.py
index 398d210b8..97f48a207 100644
--- a/barbican/plugin/dogtag_config_opts.py
+++ b/barbican/plugin/dogtag_config_opts.py
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ dogtag_plugin_opts = [
     cfg.StrOpt('dogtag_host',
                default="localhost",
                help=u._('Hostname for the Dogtag instance')),
-    cfg.StrOpt('dogtag_port',
-               default="8443",
-               help=u._('Port for the Dogtag instance')),
+    cfg.PortOpt('dogtag_port',
+                default=8443,
+                help=u._('Port for the Dogtag instance')),
     cfg.StrOpt('nss_db_path',
                help=u._('Path to the NSS certificate database')),
     cfg.StrOpt('nss_password',
diff --git a/barbican/tests/plugin/test_dogtag.py b/barbican/tests/plugin/test_dogtag.py
index ed9462c97..896bc4b58 100644
--- a/barbican/tests/plugin/test_dogtag.py
+++ b/barbican/tests/plugin/test_dogtag.py
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ class WhenTestingDogtagCAPlugin(utils.BaseTestCase):
         CONF.dogtag_plugin.ca_host_aid_path = self.host_ca_path
         CONF.dogtag_plugin.auto_approved_profiles = [self.approved_profile_id]
         CONF.dogtag_plugin.dogtag_host = "localhost"
-        CONF.dogtag_plugin.dogtag_port = "8443"
+        CONF.dogtag_plugin.dogtag_port = 8443
         CONF.dogtag_plugin.simple_cmc_profile = "caOtherCert"
         self.cfg = CONF