diff --git a/edns.go b/edns.go
index 98f3e9d3..395ea22b 100644
--- a/edns.go
+++ b/edns.go
@@ -117,7 +117,12 @@ func (rr *RR_OPT) Nsid() string {
 }
 
 // Set the NSID
-func (rr *RR_OPT) SetNsid(nsid string) {
+func (rr *RR_OPT) SetNsidToHex(hexnsid string) {
         rr.Option[0].Code = OptionCodeNSID
-        rr.Option[0].Data = nsid
+        rr.Option[0].Data = hexnsid
+}
+
+func (rr *RR_OPT) SetNsidToString(nsid string) {
+        rr.Option[0].Code = OptionCodeNSID
+        rr.Option[0].Data = hex.EncodeToString([]byte(nsid))
 }
diff --git a/pack_test.go b/pack_test.go
index 69259211..6631a305 100644
--- a/pack_test.go
+++ b/pack_test.go
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ func TestPackUnpack(t *testing.T) {
 	edns.Hdr.Class = ClassINET
 	edns.Hdr.Ttl = 3600
 	edns.Option = make([]Option, 1)
-	edns.Option[0].Code = OptionCodeNSID
-	edns.Option[0].Data = "lalalala"
+        edns.SetNsidToString("lalalala")
 
 	_, ok = packRR(edns, msg, 0)
 	if !ok {