diff --git a/tools/nfdc/legacy-nfdc.cpp b/tools/nfdc/legacy-nfdc.cpp
index 5f4f81f..e0e6bcd 100644
--- a/tools/nfdc/legacy-nfdc.cpp
+++ b/tools/nfdc/legacy-nfdc.cpp
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@
   bool wantCapture = false;
   bool wantPermanentFace = false;
   int64_t expires = -1;
+  std::underlying_type<ndn::nfd::RouteOrigin>::type origin = ndn::nfd::ROUTE_ORIGIN_STATIC;
 
   namespace po = boost::program_options;
   po::options_description options;
@@ -349,7 +350,7 @@
     (",C", po::bool_switch(&wantCapture))
     (",c", po::value<uint64_t>(&p.m_cost))
     (",e", po::value<int64_t>(&expires))
-    (",o", po::value<uint64_t>(&p.m_origin))
+    (",o", po::value<std::underlying_type<ndn::nfd::RouteOrigin>::type>(&origin))
     (",P", po::bool_switch(&wantPermanentFace));
   po::variables_map vm;
   std::vector<std::string> unparsed;
@@ -376,6 +377,7 @@
     // accept negative values as no expiration
     p.m_expires = time::milliseconds(expires);
   }
+  p.m_origin = static_cast<ndn::nfd::RouteOrigin>(origin);
   if (wantPermanentFace) {
     p.m_facePersistency = ndn::nfd::FACE_PERSISTENCY_PERMANENT;
   }
diff --git a/tools/nfdc/legacy-nfdc.hpp b/tools/nfdc/legacy-nfdc.hpp
index 6ae9abe..ada0a7d 100644
--- a/tools/nfdc/legacy-nfdc.hpp
+++ b/tools/nfdc/legacy-nfdc.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #define NFD_TOOLS_NFDC_LEGACY_NFDC_HPP
 
 #include "execute-command.hpp"
+
+#include <ndn-cxx/encoding/nfd-constants.hpp>
 #include <ndn-cxx/mgmt/nfd/controller.hpp>
 
 namespace nfd {
@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@
   uint64_t m_flags;
   uint64_t m_cost;
   uint64_t m_faceId;
-  uint64_t m_origin;
+  ndn::nfd::RouteOrigin m_origin;
   time::milliseconds m_expires;
   std::string m_name;
   ndn::nfd::FacePersistency m_facePersistency;
diff --git a/tools/nfdc/rib-module.cpp b/tools/nfdc/rib-module.cpp
index ffcb18c..5ca7195 100644
--- a/tools/nfdc/rib-module.cpp
+++ b/tools/nfdc/rib-module.cpp
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@
       text::ItemAttributes ia;
       ctx.out << ia("prefix") << resp.getName()
               << ia("nexthop") << resp.getFaceId()
-              << ia("origin") << static_cast<RouteOrigin>(resp.getOrigin())
+              << ia("origin") << resp.getOrigin()
               << ia("cost") << resp.getCost()
               << ia("flags") << static_cast<ndn::nfd::RouteFlags>(resp.getFlags());
       if (resp.hasExpirationPeriod()) {
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@
         text::ItemAttributes ia;
         ctx.out << ia("prefix") << resp.getName()
                 << ia("nexthop") << resp.getFaceId()
-                << ia("origin") << static_cast<RouteOrigin>(resp.getOrigin())
+                << ia("origin") << resp.getOrigin()
                 << '\n';
       },
       ctx.makeCommandFailureHandler("removing route"),
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@
   for (const Route& route : item.getRoutes()) {
     os << "<route>"
        << "<faceId>" << route.getFaceId() << "</faceId>"
-       << "<origin>" << static_cast<RouteOrigin>(route.getOrigin()) << "</origin>"
+       << "<origin>" << route.getOrigin() << "</origin>"
        << "<cost>" << route.getCost() << "</cost>";
     if (route.getFlags() == ndn::nfd::ROUTE_FLAGS_NONE) {
        os << "<flags/>";
@@ -352,14 +352,9 @@
     os << ia("prefix") << entry.getName();
   }
   os << ia("nexthop") << route.getFaceId();
-  os << ia("origin") << static_cast<RouteOrigin>(route.getOrigin());
+  os << ia("origin") << route.getOrigin();
   os << ia("cost") << route.getCost();
   os << ia("flags") << static_cast<ndn::nfd::RouteFlags>(route.getFlags());
-
-  // 'origin' field is printed as a number, because printing 'origin' as string may mislead user
-  // into passing strings to 'origin' command line argument which currently only accepts numbers.
-  ///\todo #3987 print 'origin' with RouteOrigin stream insertion operator
-
   if (route.hasExpirationPeriod()) {
     os << ia("expires") << text::formatDuration(route.getExpirationPeriod());
   }