diff --git a/lib/api/users.rb b/lib/api/users.rb
index 4c22287b5c6ca84861ea651760ac195cd7a6854b..de07fbf59fc25efafd8b922010aef614d22be44e 100644
--- a/lib/api/users.rb
+++ b/lib/api/users.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module API
           optional :website_url, type: String, desc: 'The website of the user'
           optional :organization, type: String, desc: 'The organization of the user'
           optional :projects_limit, type: Integer, desc: 'The number of projects a user can create'
-          optional :extern_uid, type: Integer, desc: 'The external authentication provider UID'
+          optional :extern_uid, type: String, desc: 'The external authentication provider UID'
           optional :provider, type: String, desc: 'The external provider'
           optional :bio, type: String, desc: 'The biography of the user'
           optional :location, type: String, desc: 'The location of the user'
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
index 9e317f3a7e91498abf37ebff32771bdcc972fdf5..45b7988a05468d731eeebd2c3d8cb1ce0310c0b6 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
@@ -317,9 +317,9 @@ describe API::Users, api: true  do
     end
 
     it 'updates user with new identity' do
-      put api("/users/#{user.id}", admin), provider: 'github', extern_uid: '67890'
+      put api("/users/#{user.id}", admin), provider: 'github', extern_uid: 'john'
       expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
-      expect(user.reload.identities.first.extern_uid).to eq('67890')
+      expect(user.reload.identities.first.extern_uid).to eq('john')
       expect(user.reload.identities.first.provider).to eq('github')
     end