diff --git a/sbin/route/keywords b/sbin/route/keywords
index cbd8799ffb6..3dbfcd18777 100644
--- a/sbin/route/keywords
+++ b/sbin/route/keywords
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ ssthresh
 static
 sticky
 weight
+metric
 x25
 xns
 xresolve
diff --git a/sbin/route/route.c b/sbin/route/route.c
index f0d9515f989..84c520bd4f3 100644
--- a/sbin/route/route.c
+++ b/sbin/route/route.c
@@ -813,6 +813,7 @@ set_metric(char *value, int key)
 	caseof(K_RTT, RTV_RTT, rmx_rtt);
 	caseof(K_RTTVAR, RTV_RTTVAR, rmx_rttvar);
 	caseof(K_WEIGHT, RTV_WEIGHT, rmx_weight);
+	caseof(K_METRIC, RTV_METRIC, rmx_metric);
 	}
 	rtm_inits |= flag;
 	if (lockrest || locking)
@@ -823,6 +824,8 @@ set_metric(char *value, int key)
 	*valp = strtol(value, &endptr, 0);
 	if (errno == 0 && *endptr != '\0')
 		errno = EINVAL;
+	if (flag & RTV_METRIC && *valp == RT_WILDCARD_METRIC)
+		err(EX_USAGE, "Metric can not be zero");
 	if (errno)
 		err(EX_USAGE, "%s", value);
 	if (flag & RTV_EXPIRE && (value[0] == '+' || value[0] == '-')) {
@@ -999,6 +1002,7 @@ newroute(int argc, char **argv)
 			case K_RTT:
 			case K_RTTVAR:
 			case K_WEIGHT:
+			case K_METRIC:
 				if (!--argc)
 					usage(NULL);
 				set_metric(*++argv, key);
diff --git a/sbin/route/route_netlink.c b/sbin/route/route_netlink.c
index 20c82c25f5c..05166268804 100644
--- a/sbin/route/route_netlink.c
+++ b/sbin/route/route_netlink.c
@@ -270,6 +270,8 @@ rtmsg_nl_int(struct nl_helper *h, int cmd, int rtm_flags, int fib, int rtm_addrs
 	if (rt_metrics->rmx_expire > 0)
 		snl_add_msg_attr_u32(&nw, NL_RTA_EXPIRES, rt_metrics->rmx_expire);
 
+	if (rt_metrics->rmx_metric > 0)
+		snl_add_msg_attr_u32(&nw, NL_RTA_PRIORITY, rt_metrics->rmx_metric);
 	if (rt_metrics->rmx_weight > 0)
 		snl_add_msg_attr_u32(&nw, NL_RTA_WEIGHT, rt_metrics->rmx_weight);