diff --git a/doc/api/runners.md b/doc/api/runners.md
index df458af77bb..8146a7e0647 100644
--- a/doc/api/runners.md
+++ b/doc/api/runners.md
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ Example response:
         "mysql"
     ],
     "version": null,
-    "access_level": 0
+    "access_level": "ref_protected"
 }
 ```
 
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ PUT /runners/:id
 | `tag_list`    | array   | no       | The list of tags for a runner; put array of tags, that should be finally assigned to a runner |
 | `run_untagged`    | boolean   | no       | Flag indicating the runner can execute untagged jobs |
 | `locked`    | boolean   | no       | Flag indicating the runner is locked |
-| `access_level`    | integer   | no       | The access_level of the runner; `not_protected`: 0, `ref_protected`: 1 |
+| `access_level`    | integer   | no       | The access_level of the runner; `not_protected` or `ref_protected` |
 
 ```
 curl --request PUT --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/runners/6" --form "description=test-1-20150125-test" --form "tag_list=ruby,mysql,tag1,tag2"
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ Example response:
         "tag2"
     ],
     "version": null,
-    "access_level": 0
+    "access_level": "ref_protected"
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/lib/api/runners.rb b/lib/api/runners.rb
index d8fc44e5790..d3559ef71be 100644
--- a/lib/api/runners.rb
+++ b/lib/api/runners.rb
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ module API
         optional :tag_list, type: Array[String], desc: 'The list of tags for a runner'
         optional :run_untagged, type: Boolean, desc: 'Flag indicating the runner can execute untagged jobs'
         optional :locked, type: Boolean, desc: 'Flag indicating the runner is locked'
-        optional :access_level, type: Integer, desc: 'The access_level of the runner'
+        optional :access_level, type: String, values: Ci::Runner.access_levels.keys,
+                                desc: 'The access_level of the runner'
         at_least_one_of :description, :active, :tag_list, :run_untagged, :locked, :access_level
       end
       put ':id' do
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/runners_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/runners_spec.rb
index abaa6eb4f6d..67907579225 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/runners_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/runners_spec.rb
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ describe API::Runners do
                                                  tag_list: ['ruby2.1', 'pgsql', 'mysql'],
                                                  run_untagged: 'false',
                                                  locked: 'true',
-                                                 access_level: Ci::Runner.access_levels['ref_protected'])
+                                                 access_level: 'ref_protected')
           shared_runner.reload
 
           expect(response).to have_http_status(200)