diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_nht.c b/bgpd/bgp_nht.c
index 60d6f74e1478..9a2166c86bd6 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_nht.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_nht.c
@@ -897,52 +897,44 @@ void bgp_nht_interface_events(struct peer *peer)
 				bnc->ifindex_ipv6_ll, NULL);
 }
 
-void bgp_parse_nexthop_update(int command, vrf_id_t vrf_id)
+void bgp_nexthop_update(struct vrf *vrf, struct prefix *match,
+			struct zapi_route *nhr)
 {
 	struct bgp_nexthop_cache_head *tree = NULL;
 	struct bgp_nexthop_cache *bnc_nhc, *bnc_import;
 	struct bgp *bgp;
-	struct prefix match;
-	struct zapi_route nhr;
 	afi_t afi;
 
-	bgp = bgp_lookup_by_vrf_id(vrf_id);
-	if (!bgp) {
-		flog_err(
-			EC_BGP_NH_UPD,
-			"parse nexthop update: instance not found for vrf_id %u",
-			vrf_id);
+	if (!vrf->info) {
+		flog_err(EC_BGP_NH_UPD,
+			 "parse nexthop update: instance not found for vrf_id %u",
+			 vrf->vrf_id);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (!zapi_nexthop_update_decode(zclient->ibuf, &match, &nhr)) {
-		zlog_err("%s[%s]: Failure to decode nexthop update", __func__,
-			 bgp->name_pretty);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	afi = family2afi(match.family);
+	bgp = (struct bgp *)vrf->info;
+	afi = family2afi(match->family);
 	tree = &bgp->nexthop_cache_table[afi];
 
-	bnc_nhc = bnc_find(tree, &match, nhr.srte_color, 0);
+	bnc_nhc = bnc_find(tree, match, nhr->srte_color, 0);
 	if (!bnc_nhc) {
 		if (BGP_DEBUG(nht, NHT))
-			zlog_debug(
-				"parse nexthop update %pFX(%u)(%s): bnc info not found for nexthop cache",
-				&nhr.prefix, nhr.srte_color, bgp->name_pretty);
+			zlog_debug("parse nexthop update %pFX(%u)(%s): bnc info not found for nexthop cache",
+				   &nhr->prefix, nhr->srte_color,
+				   bgp->name_pretty);
 	} else
-		bgp_process_nexthop_update(bnc_nhc, &nhr, false);
+		bgp_process_nexthop_update(bnc_nhc, nhr, false);
 
 	tree = &bgp->import_check_table[afi];
 
-	bnc_import = bnc_find(tree, &match, nhr.srte_color, 0);
+	bnc_import = bnc_find(tree, match, nhr->srte_color, 0);
 	if (!bnc_import) {
 		if (BGP_DEBUG(nht, NHT))
-			zlog_debug(
-				"parse nexthop update %pFX(%u)(%s): bnc info not found for import check",
-				&nhr.prefix, nhr.srte_color, bgp->name_pretty);
+			zlog_debug("parse nexthop update %pFX(%u)(%s): bnc info not found for import check",
+				   &nhr->prefix, nhr->srte_color,
+				   bgp->name_pretty);
 	} else
-		bgp_process_nexthop_update(bnc_import, &nhr, true);
+		bgp_process_nexthop_update(bnc_import, nhr, true);
 
 	/*
 	 * HACK: if any BGP route is dependant on an SR-policy that doesn't
@@ -955,7 +947,7 @@ void bgp_parse_nexthop_update(int command, vrf_id_t vrf_id)
 	 * which should provide a better infrastructure to solve this issue in
 	 * a more efficient and elegant way.
 	 */
-	if (nhr.srte_color == 0 && bnc_nhc) {
+	if (nhr->srte_color == 0 && bnc_nhc) {
 		struct bgp_nexthop_cache *bnc_iter;
 
 		frr_each (bgp_nexthop_cache, &bgp->nexthop_cache_table[afi],
@@ -965,7 +957,7 @@ void bgp_parse_nexthop_update(int command, vrf_id_t vrf_id)
 			    CHECK_FLAG(bnc_iter->flags, BGP_NEXTHOP_VALID))
 				continue;
 
-			bgp_process_nexthop_update(bnc_iter, &nhr, false);
+			bgp_process_nexthop_update(bnc_iter, nhr, false);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_nht.h b/bgpd/bgp_nht.h
index 0758a0cf08fc..b9f0f6d46945 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_nht.h
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_nht.h
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@
 #define _BGP_NHT_H
 
 /**
- * bgp_parse_nexthop_update() - parse a nexthop update message from Zebra.
+ * bgp_nexthop_update() - process a nexthop update message from Zebra.
  */
-extern void bgp_parse_nexthop_update(int command, vrf_id_t vrf_id);
+extern void bgp_nexthop_update(struct vrf *vrf, struct prefix *match,
+			       struct zapi_route *nhr);
 
 /**
  * bgp_find_or_add_nexthop() - lookup the nexthop cache table for the bnc
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_zebra.c b/bgpd/bgp_zebra.c
index 2596c71c16ea..8dad72420b06 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_zebra.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_zebra.c
@@ -100,13 +100,6 @@ static int bgp_router_id_update(ZAPI_CALLBACK_ARGS)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* Nexthop update message from zebra. */
-static int bgp_read_nexthop_update(ZAPI_CALLBACK_ARGS)
-{
-	bgp_parse_nexthop_update(cmd, vrf_id);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 /* Set or clear interface on which unnumbered neighbor is configured. This
  * would in turn cause BGP to initiate or turn off IPv6 RAs on this
  * interface.
@@ -3332,7 +3325,6 @@ static zclient_handler *const bgp_handlers[] = {
 	[ZEBRA_INTERFACE_NBR_ADDRESS_DELETE] = bgp_interface_nbr_address_delete,
 	[ZEBRA_REDISTRIBUTE_ROUTE_ADD] = zebra_read_route,
 	[ZEBRA_REDISTRIBUTE_ROUTE_DEL] = zebra_read_route,
-	[ZEBRA_NEXTHOP_UPDATE] = bgp_read_nexthop_update,
 	[ZEBRA_FEC_UPDATE] = bgp_read_fec_update,
 	[ZEBRA_LOCAL_ES_ADD] = bgp_zebra_process_local_es_add,
 	[ZEBRA_LOCAL_ES_DEL] = bgp_zebra_process_local_es_del,
@@ -3454,6 +3446,7 @@ void bgp_zebra_init(struct event_loop *master, unsigned short instance)
 	zclient_init(zclient, ZEBRA_ROUTE_BGP, 0, &bgpd_privs);
 	zclient->zebra_connected = bgp_zebra_connected;
 	zclient->zebra_capabilities = bgp_zebra_capabilities;
+	zclient->nexthop_update = bgp_nexthop_update;
 	zclient->instance = instance;
 
 	/* Initialize special zclient for synchronous message exchanges. */