diff --git a/babeld/kernel.c b/babeld/kernel.c
index 26860f3bae..105a7d0518 100644
--- a/babeld/kernel.c
+++ b/babeld/kernel.c
@@ -144,15 +144,15 @@ kernel_route_v4(int add,
                 const unsigned char *gate, int ifindex, unsigned int metric)
 {
     struct zapi_route api;               /* quagga's communication system */
+    struct zapi_nexthop *api_nh;         /* next router to go - no ECMP */
     struct prefix quagga_prefix;         /* quagga's prefix */
     struct in_addr babel_prefix_addr;    /* babeld's prefix addr */
-    struct nexthop nexthop;              /* next router to go */
-    struct nexthop *nexthop_pointer = &nexthop; /* it's an array! */
+
+    api_nh = &api.nexthops[0];
 
     /* convert to be understandable by quagga */
     /* convert given addresses */
     uchar_to_inaddr(&babel_prefix_addr, pref);
-    uchar_to_inaddr(&nexthop.gate.ipv4, gate);
 
     /* make prefix structure */
     memset (&quagga_prefix, 0, sizeof(quagga_prefix));
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ kernel_route_v4(int add,
     api.instance = 0;
     api.safi = SAFI_UNICAST;
     api.vrf_id = VRF_DEFAULT;
+    api.prefix = quagga_prefix;
 
     SET_FLAG(api.message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_NEXTHOP);
     if(metric >= KERNEL_INFINITY) {
@@ -175,13 +176,13 @@ kernel_route_v4(int add,
         api.nexthop_num = 0;
     } else {
         api.nexthop_num = 1;
-        api.nexthop = &nexthop_pointer;
-        nexthop.ifindex = ifindex;
-        if (IPV4_ADDR_SAME (&nexthop.gate.ipv4, &quagga_prefix.u.prefix4) &&
+        api_nh->ifindex = ifindex;
+        uchar_to_inaddr(&api_nh->gate.ipv4, gate);
+        if (IPV4_ADDR_SAME (&api_nh->gate.ipv4, &quagga_prefix.u.prefix4) &&
                 quagga_prefix.prefixlen == 32) {
-            nexthop.type = NEXTHOP_TYPE_IFINDEX;
+            api_nh->type = NEXTHOP_TYPE_IFINDEX;
         } else {
-            nexthop.type = NEXTHOP_TYPE_IPV4_IFINDEX;
+            api_nh->type = NEXTHOP_TYPE_IPV4_IFINDEX;
         }
         SET_FLAG(api.message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_METRIC);
         api.metric = metric;
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ kernel_route_v4(int add,
            add ? "adding" : "removing" );
     return zapi_route (add ? ZEBRA_IPV4_ROUTE_ADD :
                        ZEBRA_IPV4_ROUTE_DELETE,
-                       zclient, &quagga_prefix, NULL, &api);
+                       zclient, &api);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -199,15 +200,15 @@ kernel_route_v6(int add, const unsigned char *pref, unsigned short plen,
                 const unsigned char *gate, int ifindex, unsigned int metric)
 {
     struct zapi_route api;              /* quagga's communication system */
+    struct zapi_nexthop *api_nh;        /* next router to go - no ECMP */
     struct prefix quagga_prefix;        /* quagga's prefix */
     struct in6_addr babel_prefix_addr;  /* babeld's prefix addr */
-    struct nexthop nexthop;             /* next router to go */
-    struct nexthop *nexthop_pointer = &nexthop;
+
+    api_nh = &api.nexthops[0];
 
     /* convert to be understandable by quagga */
     /* convert given addresses */
     uchar_to_in6addr(&babel_prefix_addr, pref);
-    uchar_to_in6addr(&nexthop.gate.ipv6, gate);
 
     /* make prefix structure */
     memset (&quagga_prefix, 0, sizeof(quagga_prefix));
@@ -223,6 +224,7 @@ kernel_route_v6(int add, const unsigned char *pref, unsigned short plen,
     api.instance = 0;
     api.safi = SAFI_UNICAST;
     api.vrf_id = VRF_DEFAULT;
+    api.prefix = quagga_prefix;
 
     if(metric >= KERNEL_INFINITY) {
         api.flags = ZEBRA_FLAG_REJECT;
@@ -230,10 +232,10 @@ kernel_route_v6(int add, const unsigned char *pref, unsigned short plen,
     } else {
         SET_FLAG(api.message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_NEXTHOP);
         api.nexthop_num = 1;
-        api.nexthop = &nexthop_pointer;
-        nexthop.ifindex = ifindex;
+        api_nh->ifindex = ifindex;
+        uchar_to_in6addr(&api_nh->gate.ipv6, gate);
         /* difference to IPv4: always leave the linklocal as nexthop */
-        nexthop.type = NEXTHOP_TYPE_IPV6_IFINDEX;
+        api_nh->type = NEXTHOP_TYPE_IPV6_IFINDEX;
         SET_FLAG(api.message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_METRIC);
         api.metric = metric;
     }
@@ -242,7 +244,7 @@ kernel_route_v6(int add, const unsigned char *pref, unsigned short plen,
            add ? "adding" : "removing" );
     return zapi_route (add ? ZEBRA_IPV6_ROUTE_ADD :
                        ZEBRA_IPV6_ROUTE_DELETE,
-                       zclient, &quagga_prefix, NULL, &api);
+                       zclient, &api);
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/lib/zclient.c b/lib/zclient.c
index f8bbdd85c9..53e8569b77 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.c
+++ b/lib/zclient.c
@@ -892,16 +892,12 @@ int zapi_ipv6_route(u_char cmd, struct zclient *zclient, struct prefix_ipv6 *p,
 	return zclient_send_message(zclient);
 }
 
-int zapi_route(u_char cmd, struct zclient *zclient, struct prefix *p,
-	       struct prefix_ipv6 *src_p, struct zapi_route *api)
+int zapi_route(u_char cmd, struct zclient *zclient, struct zapi_route *api)
 {
 	int i;
 	int psize;
 	struct stream *s;
-
-	/* either we have !SRCPFX && src_p == NULL, or SRCPFX && src_p != NULL
-	 */
-	assert(!(api->message & ZAPI_MESSAGE_SRCPFX) == !src_p);
+	struct zapi_nexthop *api_nh;
 
 	/* Reset stream. */
 	s = zclient->obuf;
@@ -917,69 +913,63 @@ int zapi_route(u_char cmd, struct zclient *zclient, struct prefix *p,
 	stream_putw(s, api->safi);
 
 	/* Put prefix information. */
-	psize = PSIZE(p->prefixlen);
-	stream_putc(s, p->prefixlen);
-	stream_write(s, (u_char *)&p->u.prefix, psize);
+	psize = PSIZE(api->prefix.prefixlen);
+	stream_putc(s, api->prefix.prefixlen);
+	stream_write(s, (u_char *)&api->prefix.u.prefix, psize);
 
 	if (CHECK_FLAG(api->message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_SRCPFX)) {
-		psize = PSIZE(src_p->prefixlen);
-		stream_putc(s, src_p->prefixlen);
-		stream_write(s, (u_char *)&src_p->prefix, psize);
+		psize = PSIZE(api->src_prefix.prefixlen);
+		stream_putc(s, api->src_prefix.prefixlen);
+		stream_write(s, (u_char *)&api->src_prefix.prefix, psize);
 	}
 
 	/* Nexthop, ifindex, distance and metric information. */
 	if (CHECK_FLAG(api->message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_NEXTHOP)) {
+		/* limit the number of nexthops if necessary */
+		if (api->nexthop_num > MULTIPATH_NUM) {
+			char buf[PREFIX2STR_BUFFER];
+
+			prefix2str(&api->prefix, buf, sizeof(buf));
+			zlog_warn(
+				"%s: prefix %s: encoding %u nexthops out of %u",
+				__func__, buf, MULTIPATH_NUM, api->nexthop_num);
+			api->nexthop_num = MULTIPATH_NUM;
+		}
+
 		stream_putc(s, api->nexthop_num);
 
 		for (i = 0; i < api->nexthop_num; i++) {
-			stream_putc(s, api->nexthop[i]->type);
-			switch (api->nexthop[i]->type) {
+			api_nh = &api->nexthops[i];
+
+			stream_putc(s, api_nh->type);
+			switch (api_nh->type) {
 			case NEXTHOP_TYPE_BLACKHOLE:
 				break;
 			case NEXTHOP_TYPE_IPV4:
-				stream_put_in_addr(s,
-						   &api->nexthop[i]->gate.ipv4);
-
-				/* For labeled-unicast, each nexthop is followed
-				 * by label. */
-				if (CHECK_FLAG(api->message,
-					       ZAPI_MESSAGE_LABEL))
-					stream_putl(
-						s,
-						api->nexthop[i]
-							->nh_label->label[0]);
+				stream_put_in_addr(s, &api_nh->gate.ipv4);
 				break;
 			case NEXTHOP_TYPE_IPV4_IFINDEX:
-				stream_put_in_addr(s,
-						   &api->nexthop[i]->gate.ipv4);
-				stream_putl(s, api->nexthop[i]->ifindex);
+				stream_put_in_addr(s, &api_nh->gate.ipv4);
+				stream_putl(s, api_nh->ifindex);
 				break;
 			case NEXTHOP_TYPE_IFINDEX:
-				stream_putl(s, api->nexthop[i]->ifindex);
+				stream_putl(s, api_nh->ifindex);
 				break;
 			case NEXTHOP_TYPE_IPV6:
-				stream_write(
-					s,
-					(u_char *)&api->nexthop[i]->gate.ipv6,
-					16);
-
-				/* For labeled-unicast, each nexthop is followed
-				 * by label. */
-				if (CHECK_FLAG(api->message,
-					       ZAPI_MESSAGE_LABEL))
-					stream_putl(
-						s,
-						api->nexthop[i]
-							->nh_label->label[0]);
+				stream_write(s, (u_char *)&api_nh->gate.ipv6,
+					     16);
 				break;
 			case NEXTHOP_TYPE_IPV6_IFINDEX:
-				stream_write(
-					s,
-					(u_char *)&api->nexthop[i]->gate.ipv6,
-					16);
-				stream_putl(s, api->nexthop[i]->ifindex);
+				stream_write(s, (u_char *)&api_nh->gate.ipv6,
+					     16);
+				stream_putl(s, api_nh->ifindex);
 				break;
 			}
+
+			/* For labeled-unicast, each nexthop is followed
+			 * by label. */
+			if (CHECK_FLAG(api->message, ZAPI_MESSAGE_LABEL))
+				stream_putl(s, api_nh->label);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/zclient.h b/lib/zclient.h
index ddd9655443..92aeabb07f 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.h
+++ b/lib/zclient.h
@@ -224,6 +224,13 @@ struct zserv_header {
 	uint16_t command;
 };
 
+struct zapi_nexthop {
+	enum nexthop_types_t type;
+	ifindex_t ifindex;
+	union g_addr gate;
+	mpls_label_t label;
+};
+
 struct zapi_route {
 	u_char type;
 	u_short instance;
@@ -234,8 +241,11 @@ struct zapi_route {
 
 	safi_t safi;
 
+	struct prefix prefix;
+	struct prefix_ipv6 src_prefix;
+
 	u_char nexthop_num;
-	struct nexthop **nexthop;
+	struct zapi_nexthop nexthops[MULTIPATH_NUM];
 
 	u_char distance;
 
@@ -416,7 +426,7 @@ extern int zapi_ipv6_route(u_char cmd, struct zclient *zclient,
 extern int zapi_ipv4_route_ipv6_nexthop(u_char, struct zclient *,
 					struct prefix_ipv4 *,
 					struct zapi_ipv6 *);
-extern int zapi_route(u_char cmd, struct zclient *zclient, struct prefix *p,
-		      struct prefix_ipv6 *src_p, struct zapi_route *api);
+extern int zapi_route(u_char cmd, struct zclient *zclient,
+		      struct zapi_route *api);
 
 #endif /* _ZEBRA_ZCLIENT_H */