diff --git a/doc/lua-api/index.rst b/doc/lua-api/index.rst
index c16a07e6c..e0afaffcd 100644
--- a/doc/lua-api/index.rst
+++ b/doc/lua-api/index.rst
@@ -3558,7 +3558,7 @@ Patref class
 
   :param string key: the string used as a key
   :param string value: the string used as value
-  :param bool force: create the entry if it doesn't exist (optional,
+  :param boolean force: create the entry if it doesn't exist (optional,
    defaults to false)
   :returns: true on success and nil on failure (followed by an error message)
 
diff --git a/src/hlua_fcn.c b/src/hlua_fcn.c
index 3118e40d5..b6252fbf1 100644
--- a/src/hlua_fcn.c
+++ b/src/hlua_fcn.c
@@ -2889,7 +2889,7 @@ int hlua_patref_set(lua_State *L)
 	value = luaL_checkstring(L, 3);
 
 	if (lua_gettop(L) == 4)
-		force = lua_tointeger(L, 4);
+		force = lua_toboolean(L, 4);
 
 	HA_RWLOCK_WRLOCK(PATREF_LOCK, &ref->ptr->lock);
 	if ((ref->flags & HLUA_PATREF_FL_GEN) &&