diff --git a/src/main/routes/port-forward-route.ts b/src/main/routes/port-forward-route.ts
index 0904ab7793..9c6b553546 100644
--- a/src/main/routes/port-forward-route.ts
+++ b/src/main/routes/port-forward-route.ts
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ interface PortForwardArgs {
   kind: string;
   namespace: string;
   name: string;
-  port: string;
-  forwardPort: string;
+  port: number;
+  forwardPort: number;
 }
 
 const internalPortRegex = /^forwarding from (?<address>.+) ->/i;
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ class PortForward {
   public kind: string;
   public namespace: string;
   public name: string;
-  public port: string;
+  public port: number;
   public internalPort?: number;
-  public forwardPort?: string;
+  public forwardPort?: number;
 
   constructor(public kubeConfig: string, args: PortForwardArgs) {
     this.clusterId = args.clusterId;
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class PortForward {
     try {
       await tcpPortUsed.waitUntilUsed(this.internalPort, 500, 15000);
 
-      this.forwardPort = String(this.internalPort);
+      this.forwardPort = this.internalPort;
 
       return true;
     } catch (error) {
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ export class PortForwardRoute {
   static async routePortForward(request: LensApiRequest) {
     const { params, query, response, cluster } = request;
     const { namespace, resourceType, resourceName } = params;
-    const port = query.get("port");
-    const forwardPort = query.get("forwardPort");
+    const port = Number(query.get("port"));
+    const forwardPort = Number(query.get("forwardPort"));
 
     try {
       let portForward = PortForward.getPortforward({
@@ -126,10 +126,9 @@ export class PortForwardRoute {
         namespace, port, forwardPort,
       });
 
-      let thePort: string; // undefined
-      const portNum = Number(forwardPort);
+      let thePort = 0;
 
-      if (portNum > 0 && portNum < 65536) {
+      if (forwardPort > 0 && forwardPort < 65536) {
         thePort = forwardPort;
       }
 
@@ -168,8 +167,8 @@ export class PortForwardRoute {
   static async routeCurrentPortForward(request: LensApiRequest) {
     const { params, query, response, cluster } = request;
     const { namespace, resourceType, resourceName } = params;
-    const port = query.get("port");
-    const forwardPort = query.get("forwardPort");
+    const port = Number(query.get("port"));
+    const forwardPort = Number(query.get("forwardPort"));
 
     const portForward = PortForward.getPortforward({
       clusterId: cluster.id, kind: resourceType, name: resourceName,
@@ -199,8 +198,8 @@ export class PortForwardRoute {
   static async routeCurrentPortForwardStop(request: LensApiRequest) {
     const { params, query, response, cluster } = request;
     const { namespace, resourceType, resourceName } = params;
-    const port = query.get("port");
-    const forwardPort = query.get("forwardPort");
+    const port = Number(query.get("port"));
+    const forwardPort = Number(query.get("forwardPort"));
 
     const portForward = PortForward.getPortforward({
       clusterId: cluster.id, kind: resourceType, name: resourceName,
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/+network-services/service-port-component.tsx b/src/renderer/components/+network-services/service-port-component.tsx
index c99eb5a8fa..385c1dd87f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/+network-services/service-port-component.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/+network-services/service-port-component.tsx
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ export class ServicePortComponent extends React.Component<Props> {
       kind: "service",
       name: service.getName(),
       namespace: service.getNs(),
-      port: port.port.toString(),
-      forwardPort: this.forwardPort.toString()
+      port: port.port,
+      forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
     };
     const activePort = await getPortForward(portForward) ?? 0;
 
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ export class ServicePortComponent extends React.Component<Props> {
       kind: "service",
       name: service.getName(),
       namespace: service.getNs(),
-      port: port.port.toString(),
-      forwardPort: this.forwardPort.toString()
+      port: port.port,
+      forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
     };
 
     this.waiting = true;
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export class ServicePortComponent extends React.Component<Props> {
       this.forwardPort = await addPortForward(portForward);
 
       if (this.forwardPort) {
-        portForward.forwardPort = this.forwardPort.toString();
+        portForward.forwardPort = this.forwardPort;
         openPortForward(portForward);
         this.isPortForwarded = true;
       }
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ export class ServicePortComponent extends React.Component<Props> {
       kind: "service",
       name: service.getName(),
       namespace: service.getNs(),
-      port: port.port.toString(),
-      forwardPort: this.forwardPort.toString()
+      port: port.port,
+      forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
     };
 
     this.waiting = true;
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ export class ServicePortComponent extends React.Component<Props> {
           kind: "service",
           name: service.getName(),
           namespace: service.getNs(),
-          port: port.port.toString(),
-          forwardPort: this.forwardPort.toString()
+          port: port.port,
+          forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
         };
 
         PortForwardDialog.open(portForward, { openInBrowser: true });
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/+workloads-pods/pod-container-port.tsx b/src/renderer/components/+workloads-pods/pod-container-port.tsx
index af58fe4362..03e0f766e7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/+workloads-pods/pod-container-port.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/+workloads-pods/pod-container-port.tsx
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ export class PodContainerPort extends React.Component<Props> {
       kind: "pod",
       name: pod.getName(),
       namespace: pod.getNs(),
-      port: port.containerPort.toString(),
-      forwardPort: this.forwardPort.toString()
+      port: port.containerPort,
+      forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
     };
     const activePort = await getPortForward(portForward) ?? 0;
 
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ export class PodContainerPort extends React.Component<Props> {
       kind: "pod",
       name: pod.getName(),
       namespace: pod.getNs(),
-      port: port.containerPort.toString(),
-      forwardPort: this.forwardPort.toString()
+      port: port.containerPort,
+      forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
     };
 
     this.waiting = true;
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ export class PodContainerPort extends React.Component<Props> {
       this.forwardPort = await addPortForward(portForward);
 
       if (this.forwardPort) {
-        portForward.forwardPort = this.forwardPort.toString();
+        portForward.forwardPort = this.forwardPort;
         openPortForward(portForward);
         this.isPortForwarded = true;
       }
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ export class PodContainerPort extends React.Component<Props> {
       kind: "pod",
       name: pod.getName(),
       namespace: pod.getNs(),
-      port: port.containerPort.toString(),
-      forwardPort: this.forwardPort.toString()
+      port: port.containerPort,
+      forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
     };
 
     this.waiting = true;
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ export class PodContainerPort extends React.Component<Props> {
           kind: "pod",
           name: pod.getName(),
           namespace: pod.getNs(),
-          port: port.containerPort.toString(),
-          forwardPort: this.forwardPort.toString()
+          port: port.containerPort,
+          forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
         };
 
         PortForwardDialog.open(portForward, { openInBrowser: true });
diff --git a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-dialog.tsx b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-dialog.tsx
index d4d5fd6bfa..6ba05ec1c4 100644
--- a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-dialog.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-dialog.tsx
@@ -102,12 +102,12 @@ export class PortForwardDialog extends Component<Props> {
       if (currentPort) {
         port = await modifyPortForward(portForward, desiredPort);
       } else {
-        portForward.forwardPort = String(desiredPort);
+        portForward.forwardPort = desiredPort;
         port = await addPortForward(portForward);
       }
       
       if (dialogState.openInBrowser) {
-        portForward.forwardPort = String(port);
+        portForward.forwardPort = port;
         openPortForward(portForward);
       }
     } catch (err) {
diff --git a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-item.ts b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-item.ts
index 0b79fff620..9251b0fcef 100644
--- a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-item.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-item.ts
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ export interface ForwardedPort {
   kind: string;
   namespace: string;
   name: string;
-  port: string;
-  forwardPort: string;
+  port: number;
+  forwardPort: number;
 }
   
 export class PortForwardItem implements ItemObject {
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ export class PortForwardItem implements ItemObject {
   kind: string;
   namespace: string;
   name: string;
-  port: string;
-  forwardPort: string;
+  port: number;
+  forwardPort: number;
   
   constructor(pf: ForwardedPort) {
     this.clusterId = pf.clusterId;
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export class PortForwardItem implements ItemObject {
   }
    
   getId() {
-    return this.forwardPort;
+    return String(this.forwardPort);
   }
   
   getKind() {
diff --git a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward.store.ts b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward.store.ts
index cbf0f15ced..fe20c1d1e9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward.store.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward.store.ts
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ export async function modifyPortForward(portForward: ForwardedPort, desiredPort:
   
   try {
     await removePortForward(portForward);
-    portForward.forwardPort = desiredPort.toString();
+    portForward.forwardPort = desiredPort;
     port = await addPortForward(portForward);
   } catch (error) {
     logger.warn(error); // don't care, caller must check