diff --git a/lib/ofp-msgs.h b/lib/ofp-msgs.h
index ffa940266..8558e580c 100644
--- a/lib/ofp-msgs.h
+++ b/lib/ofp-msgs.h
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ enum ofpraw {
 
     /* OFPST 1.1-1.4 (7): void. */
     OFPRAW_OFPST11_GROUP_DESC_REQUEST,
-    /* OFPST 1.5+ (7): ovs_be32. */
+    /* OFPST 1.5+ (7): struct ofp15_group_desc_request. */
     OFPRAW_OFPST15_GROUP_DESC_REQUEST,
 
     /* OFPST 1.1+ (7): uint8_t[8][]. */
diff --git a/lib/ofp-util.c b/lib/ofp-util.c
index b9163fc12..c333f2804 100644
--- a/lib/ofp-util.c
+++ b/lib/ofp-util.c
@@ -7257,7 +7257,6 @@ ofputil_encode_group_desc_request(enum ofp_version ofp_version,
                                   uint32_t group_id)
 {
     struct ofpbuf *request;
-    ovs_be32 gid;
 
     switch (ofp_version) {
     case OFP10_VERSION:
@@ -7270,12 +7269,14 @@ ofputil_encode_group_desc_request(enum ofp_version ofp_version,
         request = ofpraw_alloc(OFPRAW_OFPST11_GROUP_DESC_REQUEST,
                                ofp_version, 0);
         break;
-    case OFP15_VERSION:
+    case OFP15_VERSION:{
+        struct ofp15_group_desc_request *req;
         request = ofpraw_alloc(OFPRAW_OFPST15_GROUP_DESC_REQUEST,
                                ofp_version, 0);
-        gid = htonl(group_id);
-        ofpbuf_put(request, &gid, sizeof gid);
+        req = ofpbuf_put_zeros(request, sizeof *req);
+        req->group_id = htonl(group_id);
         break;
+    }
     default:
         OVS_NOT_REACHED();
     }
diff --git a/tests/ofp-print.at b/tests/ofp-print.at
index 397e967af..35a626246 100644
--- a/tests/ofp-print.at
+++ b/tests/ofp-print.at
@@ -1999,8 +1999,8 @@ AT_CLEANUP
 AT_SETUP([OFPST_GROUP_DESC request - OF1.5])
 AT_KEYWORDS([ofp-print OFPT_STATS_REQUEST])
 AT_CHECK([ovs-ofctl ofp-print "\
-06 12 00 14 00 00 00 02 00 07 00 00 00 00 00 00 \
-00 00 00 01
+06 12 00 18 00 00 00 02 00 07 00 00 00 00 00 00 \
+00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00
 "], [0], [OFPST_GROUP_DESC request (OF1.5) (xid=0x2): group_id=1
 ])
 AT_CLEANUP