diff --git a/src/libstore/daemon.cc b/src/libstore/daemon.cc
index 1bf3b917d..4d1c9078f 100644
--- a/src/libstore/daemon.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/daemon.cc
@@ -743,7 +743,7 @@ static void performOp(
 
     case WorkerProto::Op::CollectGarbage: {
         GCOptions options;
-        options.action = (GCOptions::GCAction) readInt(conn.from);
+        options.action = WorkerProto::Serialise<GCOptions::GCAction>::read(*store, rconn);
         options.pathsToDelete = WorkerProto::Serialise<StorePathSet>::read(*store, rconn);
         conn.from >> options.ignoreLiveness >> options.maxFreed;
         // obsolete fields
diff --git a/src/libstore/include/nix/store/gc-store.hh b/src/libstore/include/nix/store/gc-store.hh
index 5a4a6db14..7f04ed5a2 100644
--- a/src/libstore/include/nix/store/gc-store.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/include/nix/store/gc-store.hh
@@ -13,28 +13,31 @@ typedef boost::unordered_flat_map<
     std::hash<StorePath>>
     Roots;
 
+/**
+ * Garbage collector operation:
+ *
+ * - `gcReturnLive`: return the set of paths reachable from
+ *   (i.e. in the closure of) the roots.
+ *
+ * - `gcReturnDead`: return the set of paths not reachable from
+ *   the roots.
+ *
+ * - `gcDeleteDead`: actually delete the latter set.
+ *
+ * - `gcDeleteSpecific`: delete the paths listed in
+ *    `pathsToDelete`, insofar as they are not reachable.
+ */
+enum class GCAction {
+    gcReturnLive,
+    gcReturnDead,
+    gcDeleteDead,
+    gcDeleteSpecific,
+};
+
 struct GCOptions
 {
-    /**
-     * Garbage collector operation:
-     *
-     * - `gcReturnLive`: return the set of paths reachable from
-     *   (i.e. in the closure of) the roots.
-     *
-     * - `gcReturnDead`: return the set of paths not reachable from
-     *   the roots.
-     *
-     * - `gcDeleteDead`: actually delete the latter set.
-     *
-     * - `gcDeleteSpecific`: delete the paths listed in
-     *    `pathsToDelete`, insofar as they are not reachable.
-     */
-    typedef enum {
-        gcReturnLive,
-        gcReturnDead,
-        gcDeleteDead,
-        gcDeleteSpecific,
-    } GCAction;
+    using GCAction = nix::GCAction;
+    using enum GCAction;
 
     GCAction action{gcDeleteDead};
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/include/nix/store/worker-protocol.hh b/src/libstore/include/nix/store/worker-protocol.hh
index 6ae5fdcbc..87ef2a399 100644
--- a/src/libstore/include/nix/store/worker-protocol.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/include/nix/store/worker-protocol.hh
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ struct ValidPathInfo;
 struct UnkeyedValidPathInfo;
 enum BuildMode : uint8_t;
 enum TrustedFlag : bool;
+enum class GCAction;
 
 /**
  * The "worker protocol", used by unix:// and ssh-ng:// stores.
@@ -263,6 +264,8 @@ DECLARE_WORKER_SERIALISER(UnkeyedValidPathInfo);
 template<>
 DECLARE_WORKER_SERIALISER(BuildMode);
 template<>
+DECLARE_WORKER_SERIALISER(GCAction);
+template<>
 DECLARE_WORKER_SERIALISER(std::optional<TrustedFlag>);
 template<>
 DECLARE_WORKER_SERIALISER(std::optional<std::chrono::microseconds>);
diff --git a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
index b07efc024..6d1204570 100644
--- a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
@@ -694,7 +694,8 @@ void RemoteStore::collectGarbage(const GCOptions & options, GCResults & results)
 {
     auto conn(getConnection());
 
-    conn->to << WorkerProto::Op::CollectGarbage << options.action;
+    conn->to << WorkerProto::Op::CollectGarbage;
+    WorkerProto::write(*this, *conn, options.action);
     WorkerProto::write(*this, *conn, options.pathsToDelete);
     conn->to << options.ignoreLiveness
              << options.maxFreed
diff --git a/src/libstore/worker-protocol.cc b/src/libstore/worker-protocol.cc
index d13f8f3f6..2788222c0 100644
--- a/src/libstore/worker-protocol.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/worker-protocol.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "nix/util/serialise.hh"
 #include "nix/store/path-with-outputs.hh"
 #include "nix/store/store-api.hh"
+#include "nix/store/gc-store.hh"
 #include "nix/store/build-result.hh"
 #include "nix/store/worker-protocol.hh"
 #include "nix/store/worker-protocol-impl.hh"
@@ -47,6 +48,46 @@ void WorkerProto::Serialise<BuildMode>::write(
     };
 }
 
+GCAction WorkerProto::Serialise<GCAction>::read(const StoreDirConfig & store, WorkerProto::ReadConn conn)
+{
+    auto temp = readNum<unsigned>(conn.from);
+    using enum GCAction;
+    switch (temp) {
+    case 0:
+        return gcReturnLive;
+    case 1:
+        return gcReturnDead;
+    case 2:
+        return gcDeleteDead;
+    case 3:
+        return gcDeleteSpecific;
+    default:
+        throw Error("Invalid GC action");
+    }
+}
+
+void WorkerProto::Serialise<GCAction>::write(
+    const StoreDirConfig & store, WorkerProto::WriteConn conn, const GCAction & action)
+{
+    using enum GCAction;
+    switch (action) {
+    case gcReturnLive:
+        conn.to << unsigned{0};
+        break;
+    case gcReturnDead:
+        conn.to << unsigned{1};
+        break;
+    case gcDeleteDead:
+        conn.to << unsigned{2};
+        break;
+    case gcDeleteSpecific:
+        conn.to << unsigned{3};
+        break;
+    default:
+        assert(false);
+    }
+}
+
 std::optional<TrustedFlag>
 WorkerProto::Serialise<std::optional<TrustedFlag>>::read(const StoreDirConfig & store, WorkerProto::ReadConn conn)
 {