diff --git a/sbin/route/route_netlink.c b/sbin/route/route_netlink.c
--- a/sbin/route/route_netlink.c
+++ b/sbin/route/route_netlink.c
@@ -355,7 +355,10 @@
 print_getmsg(struct nl_helper *h, struct nlmsghdr *hdr, struct sockaddr *dst)
 {
 	struct snl_state *ss = &h->ss_cmd;
-	struct snl_parsed_route r = { .rtax_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT };
+	struct snl_parsed_route r = {
+		.rtax_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT,
+		.rta_metric = RT_DEFAULT_METRIC,
+	};
 
 	if (!snl_parse_nlmsg(ss, hdr, &snl_rtm_route_parser, &r))
 		return;
@@ -405,7 +408,10 @@
 print_nhop_getmsg(struct nl_helper *h, struct nlmsghdr *hdr, struct sockaddr *dst)
 {
 	struct snl_state *ss = &h->ss_cmd;
-	struct snl_parsed_route r = { .rtax_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT };
+	struct snl_parsed_route r = {
+		.rtax_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT,
+		.rta_metric = RT_DEFAULT_METRIC,
+	};
 	struct snl_parsed_link_simple link = {};
 	struct sockaddr *mask;
 
@@ -570,7 +576,10 @@
 print_nlmsg_route(struct nl_helper *h, struct nlmsghdr *hdr,
     struct snl_msg_info *cinfo)
 {
-	struct snl_parsed_route r = { .rtax_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT };
+	struct snl_parsed_route r = {
+		.rtax_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT,
+		.rta_metric = RT_DEFAULT_METRIC,
+	};
 	struct snl_state *ss = &h->ss_cmd;
 
 	if (!snl_parse_nlmsg(ss, hdr, &snl_rtm_route_parser, &r))
@@ -941,7 +950,10 @@
 	nl_helper_init(&h);
 	
 	while ((hdr = snl_read_reply_multi(&ss, nlm_seq, &e)) != NULL) {
-		struct snl_parsed_route r = { .rtax_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT };
+		struct snl_parsed_route r = {
+			.rtax_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT,
+			.rta_metric = RT_DEFAULT_METRIC,
+		};
 		int error;
 
 		if (!snl_parse_nlmsg(&ss, hdr, &snl_rtm_route_parser, &r))
diff --git a/sys/netlink/route/rt.c b/sys/netlink/route/rt.c
--- a/sys/netlink/route/rt.c
+++ b/sys/netlink/route/rt.c
@@ -224,7 +224,8 @@
 			nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_RTFLAGS, rtflags);
 		if (rtflags & RTF_FIXEDMTU)
 			dump_rc_nhop_mtu(nw, wn[i].nh);
-		nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_PRIORITY, nhop_get_metric(wn[i].nh));
+		if (nhop_get_metric(wn[i].nh) != RT_DEFAULT_METRIC)
+			nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_PRIORITY, nhop_get_metric(wn[i].nh));
 		nh_expire = nhop_get_expire(wn[i].nh);
 		if (nh_expire > 0)
 			nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_EXPIRES, nh_expire - time_uptime);
@@ -241,7 +242,8 @@
 		rtnh->rtnh_len = nlattr_save_offset(nw) - nh_off;
 	}
 	nlattr_set_len(nw, off);
-	nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_PRIORITY, nhop_metric);
+	if (nhop_metric != RT_DEFAULT_METRIC)
+		nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_PRIORITY, nhop_metric);
 	nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_WEIGHT, nhop_weight);
 }
 
@@ -283,7 +285,8 @@
 	/* In any case, fill outgoing interface */
 	nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_OIF, if_getindex(nh->nh_ifp));
 
-	nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_PRIORITY, nhop_get_metric(nh));
+	if (nhop_get_metric(nh) != RT_DEFAULT_METRIC)
+		nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_PRIORITY, nhop_get_metric(nh));
 	if (rnd->rnd_weight != RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT)
 		nlattr_add_u32(nw, NL_RTA_WEIGHT, rnd->rnd_weight);
 }
diff --git a/usr.bin/netstat/common.h b/usr.bin/netstat/common.h
--- a/usr.bin/netstat/common.h
+++ b/usr.bin/netstat/common.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
 
 struct ifmap_entry *prepare_ifmap(size_t *ifmap_size);
 extern const uint32_t rt_default_weight;
+extern const uint32_t rt_default_metric;
 
 struct rt_msghdr;
 struct nhops_map {
diff --git a/usr.bin/netstat/route.c b/usr.bin/netstat/route.c
--- a/usr.bin/netstat/route.c
+++ b/usr.bin/netstat/route.c
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@
 static void domask(char *, size_t, u_long);
 
 const uint32_t rt_default_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT;
+const uint32_t rt_default_metric = RT_DEFAULT_METRIC;
 
 /*
  * Print routing tables.
diff --git a/usr.bin/netstat/route_netlink.c b/usr.bin/netstat/route_netlink.c
--- a/usr.bin/netstat/route_netlink.c
+++ b/usr.bin/netstat/route_netlink.c
@@ -234,6 +234,8 @@
 		return;
 	if (rt.rtax_weight == 0)
 		rt.rtax_weight = rt_default_weight;
+	if (rt.rta_metric == 0)
+		rt.rta_metric = rt_default_metric;
 
 	if (rt.rta_multipath.num_nhops != 0) {
 		uint32_t orig_rtflags = rt.rta_rtflags;
@@ -244,7 +246,7 @@
 			rt.rta_gw = nhop->gw;
 			rt.rta_oif = nhop->ifindex;
 			rt.rtax_weight = nhop->rtnh_weight;
-			rt.rta_metric = nhop->rta_metric;
+			rt.rta_metric = nhop->rta_metric != 0 ? nhop->rta_metric : rt_default_metric;
 			rt.rta_rtflags = nhop->rta_rtflags ? nhop->rta_rtflags : orig_rtflags;
 			rt.rtax_mtu = nhop->rtax_mtu ? nhop->rtax_mtu : orig_mtu;
 			rt.rta_expire = nhop->rta_expire;