--- gmond/sflow.c.orig	2016-12-02 09:56:38.744353600 +0000
+++ gmond/sflow.c	2016-12-02 09:47:45.666353600 +0000
@@ -303,7 +303,8 @@
   char mtitle_buf[SFLOW_MAX_METRIC_NAME_LEN];
   if(ok || sflowCFG.submit_null_str) {
     set_metric_name_and_title(&mname, &mtitle, mname_buf, mtitle_buf, metric_prefix, tag);
-    fmsg.id = vmsg.id = gmetric_uint;
+    //fmsg.id = vmsg.id = gmetric_uint;
+    fmsg.id = vmsg.id = gmetric_string;
     fmsg.Ganglia_metadata_msg_u.gfull.metric.type = "string";
     vmsg.Ganglia_value_msg_u.gstr.metric_id.name = mname;
     vmsg.Ganglia_value_msg_u.gstr.str = (ok ? (char *)val : sflowCFG.null_str);