diff --git a/lib/zclient.h b/lib/zclient.h
index d24f06b778..71187ccae7 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.h
+++ b/lib/zclient.h
@@ -856,9 +856,18 @@ extern struct zclient_options zclient_options_default;
  * ip_in is the underlay IP, ip_out is the tunnel dest
  * index stands for the index of the interface
  * ndm state stands for the NDM value in netlink
+ * (see linux/neighbour.h)
  */
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_INCOMPLETE (0x01)
 #define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_REACHABLE (0x02)
-#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_FAILED    (0x20)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_STALE (0x04)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_DELAY (0x08)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_PROBE (0x10)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_FAILED (0x20)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_NOARP (0x40)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_PERMANENT (0x80)
+#define ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_NONE (0x00)
+
 struct zapi_neigh_ip {
 	int cmd;
 	struct ipaddr ip_in;
diff --git a/zebra/rt_netlink.c b/zebra/rt_netlink.c
index 48ccf91ec7..a8b4b54d29 100644
--- a/zebra/rt_netlink.c
+++ b/zebra/rt_netlink.c
@@ -3658,6 +3658,15 @@ static void netlink_handle_5549(struct ndmsg *ndm, struct zebra_if *zif,
 #define NUD_LOCAL_ACTIVE                                                 \
 	(NUD_PERMANENT | NUD_NOARP | NUD_REACHABLE)
 
+static int netlink_nbr_entry_state_to_zclient(int nbr_state)
+{
+	/* an exact match is done between
+	 * - netlink neighbor state values: NDM_XXX (see in linux/neighbour.h)
+	 * - zclient neighbor state values: ZEBRA_NEIGH_STATE_XXX
+	 *  (see in lib/zclient.h)
+	 */
+	return nbr_state;
+}
 static int netlink_ipneigh_change(struct nlmsghdr *h, int len, ns_id_t ns_id)
 {
 	struct ndmsg *ndm;
@@ -3747,8 +3756,10 @@ static int netlink_ipneigh_change(struct nlmsghdr *h, int len, ns_id_t ns_id)
 			       &mac, l2_len);
 		} else
 			sockunion_family(&link_layer_ipv4) = AF_UNSPEC;
-		zsend_nhrp_neighbor_notify(cmd, ifp, &ip, ndm->ndm_state,
-					   &link_layer_ipv4);
+		zsend_nhrp_neighbor_notify(
+			cmd, ifp, &ip,
+			netlink_nbr_entry_state_to_zclient(ndm->ndm_state),
+			&link_layer_ipv4);
 	}
 
 	if (h->nlmsg_type == RTM_GETNEIGH)