diff --git a/iptables/macro.jinja b/iptables/macro.jinja
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a821e23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/iptables/macro.jinja
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{%- macro cast_dict_keys(output, input) %}
+  {%- for key, value in input.items() %}
+    {%- set int_key = key | int %}
+    {%- do output.update({int_key: value}) %}
+  {%- endfor %}
+{%- endmacro %}
diff --git a/iptables/v1/files/v4_rules b/iptables/v1/files/v4_rules
index e34b09f..cb4b266 100644
--- a/iptables/v1/files/v4_rules
+++ b/iptables/v1/files/v4_rules
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {%- from "iptables/map.jinja" import defaults,service,tables with context %}
+{%- from "iptables/macro.jinja" import cast_dict_keys %}
 {%- if service.v4.enabled -%}
 # Generated by salt v{{ grains['saltversion'] }}
 {%- if not defaults.v4.metadata_rules %}
@@ -51,7 +52,9 @@
 :{{ c_name }} {{ policy }}
   {%- endfor %}
   {%- for c_name, c in t.chains.items() %}
-    {%- for rule_id, r in c.get('ruleset', {}).items()|sort %}
+    {%- set ruleset = {} %}
+    {{- cast_dict_keys(ruleset, c.get('ruleset', {})) }}
+    {%- for rule_id, r in ruleset|dictsort %}
       {%- set rule = r.get('rule', defaults.v4.ruleset.rule) %}
       {%- set action = r.get('action', defaults.v4.ruleset.action) %}
       {%- set params = r.get('params', defaults.v4.ruleset.params) %}
diff --git a/iptables/v1/files/v6_rules b/iptables/v1/files/v6_rules
index 7ba8c73..d07aa6a 100644
--- a/iptables/v1/files/v6_rules
+++ b/iptables/v1/files/v6_rules
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {%- from "iptables/map.jinja" import defaults,service,tables with context %}
+{%- from "iptables/macro.jinja" import cast_dict_keys %}
 {%- if service.v6.enabled -%}
 # Generated by salt v{{ grains['saltversion'] }}
 {%- if not defaults.v6.metadata_rules %}
@@ -51,7 +52,9 @@
 :{{ c_name }} {{ policy }}
   {%- endfor %}
   {%- for c_name, c in t.chains.items() %}
-    {%- for rule_id, r in c.get('ruleset', {}).items()|sort %}
+    {%- set ruleset = {} %}
+    {{- cast_dict_keys(ruleset, c.get('ruleset', {})) }}
+    {%- for rule_id, r in ruleset|dictsort %}
       {%- set rule = r.get('rule', defaults.v6.ruleset.rule) %}
       {%- set action = r.get('action', defaults.v6.ruleset.action) %}
       {%- set params = r.get('params', defaults.v6.ruleset.params) %}