diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/classfile/AnnotationValue.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/classfile/AnnotationValue.java
index 8e92ef59a50..45ed2fbbe81 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/classfile/AnnotationValue.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/classfile/AnnotationValue.java
@@ -456,9 +456,11 @@ public sealed interface AnnotationValue {
      *
      * @apiNote
      * {@code TAG_}-prefixed constants in this class, such as {@link #TAG_INT},
-     * describe the possible return values of this method.
+     * describe the possible return values of this method.  The return type is
+     * {@code int} for consistency with union indicator items in other union
+     * structures in the {@code class} file format.
      */
-    char tag();
+    int tag();
 
     /**
      * {@return an enum value for an element-value pair}
diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/classfile/constantpool/PoolEntry.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/classfile/constantpool/PoolEntry.java
index fdb8b497ff9..5762a92a061 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/classfile/constantpool/PoolEntry.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/classfile/constantpool/PoolEntry.java
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public sealed interface PoolEntry
      * {@code TAG_}-prefixed constants in this class, such as {@link #TAG_UTF8},
      * describe the possible return values of this method.
      */
-    byte tag();
+    int tag();
 
     /**
      * {@return the index within the constant pool corresponding to this entry}
diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AbstractPoolEntry.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AbstractPoolEntry.java
index 35b9f2dd1bb..3e50773d59e 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AbstractPoolEntry.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AbstractPoolEntry.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         return hash;
     }
 
-    public abstract byte tag();
+    public abstract int tag();
 
     public int width() {
         return 1;
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_UTF8;
         }
 
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_CLASS;
         }
 
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_PACKAGE;
         }
 
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_MODULE;
         }
 
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_NAME_AND_TYPE;
         }
 
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_FIELDREF;
         }
 
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_METHODREF;
         }
 
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_INTERFACE_METHODREF;
         }
 
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_INVOKE_DYNAMIC;
         }
 
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_DYNAMIC;
         }
 
@@ -905,7 +905,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_METHOD_HANDLE;
         }
 
@@ -964,7 +964,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_METHOD_TYPE;
         }
 
@@ -1002,7 +1002,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_STRING;
         }
 
@@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_INTEGER;
         }
 
@@ -1100,7 +1100,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_FLOAT;
         }
 
@@ -1145,7 +1145,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_LONG;
         }
 
@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@ public abstract sealed class AbstractPoolEntry {
         }
 
         @Override
-        public byte tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_DOUBLE;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AnnotationImpl.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AnnotationImpl.java
index 92b33d491cd..b75cf100a1b 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AnnotationImpl.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AnnotationImpl.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfStringImpl(Utf8Entry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfString {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_STRING;
         }
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfDoubleImpl(DoubleEntry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfDouble {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_DOUBLE;
         }
 
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfFloatImpl(FloatEntry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfFloat {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_FLOAT;
         }
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfLongImpl(LongEntry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfLong {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_LONG;
         }
 
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfIntImpl(IntegerEntry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfInt {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_INT;
         }
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfShortImpl(IntegerEntry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfShort {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_SHORT;
         }
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfCharImpl(IntegerEntry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfChar {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_CHAR;
         }
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfByteImpl(IntegerEntry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfByte {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_BYTE;
         }
 
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfBooleanImpl(IntegerEntry constant)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfBoolean {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_BOOLEAN;
         }
 
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
         }
 
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_ARRAY;
         }
     }
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfEnumImpl(Utf8Entry className, Utf8Entry constantName)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfEnum {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_ENUM;
         }
     }
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfAnnotationImpl(Annotation annotation)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfAnnotation {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_ANNOTATION;
         }
     }
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ public record AnnotationImpl(Utf8Entry className, List<AnnotationElement> elemen
     public record OfClassImpl(Utf8Entry className)
             implements AnnotationValue.OfClass {
         @Override
-        public char tag() {
+        public int tag() {
             return TAG_CLASS;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AnnotationReader.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AnnotationReader.java
index 5c4058e6dce..8abc221940a 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AnnotationReader.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/jdk/internal/classfile/impl/AnnotationReader.java
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ public final class AnnotationReader {
     public static void writeAnnotationValue(BufWriterImpl buf, AnnotationValue value) {
         var tag = value.tag();
         buf.writeU1(tag);
-        switch (value.tag()) {
+        switch (tag) {
             case TAG_BOOLEAN, TAG_BYTE, TAG_CHAR, TAG_DOUBLE, TAG_FLOAT, TAG_INT, TAG_LONG, TAG_SHORT, TAG_STRING ->
                     buf.writeIndex(((AnnotationValue.OfConstant) value).constant());
             case TAG_CLASS -> buf.writeIndex(((AnnotationValue.OfClass) value).className());
diff --git a/src/jdk.jdeps/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javap/AnnotationWriter.java b/src/jdk.jdeps/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javap/AnnotationWriter.java
index 66b978f252c..d480cbb1690 100644
--- a/src/jdk.jdeps/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javap/AnnotationWriter.java
+++ b/src/jdk.jdeps/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javap/AnnotationWriter.java
@@ -225,11 +225,12 @@ public class AnnotationWriter extends BasicWriter {
     }
 
     public void write(AnnotationValue value, boolean resolveIndices) {
+        var tagChar = (char) value.tag();
         switch (value) {
             case AnnotationValue.OfConstant ev -> {
                 if (resolveIndices) {
                     var entry = ev.constant();
-                    switch (ev.tag()) {
+                    switch (tagChar) {
                         case 'B':
                             print("(byte) ");
                             print(constantWriter.stringValue(entry));
@@ -258,11 +259,11 @@ public class AnnotationWriter extends BasicWriter {
                             print("\"");
                             break;
                         default:
-                            print(ev.tag() + "#" + entry.index());
+                            print(tagChar + "#" + entry.index());
                             break;
                     }
                 } else {
-                    print(ev.tag() + "#" + ev.constant().index());
+                    print(tagChar + "#" + ev.constant().index());
                 }
             }
             case AnnotationValue.OfEnum ev -> {
@@ -271,7 +272,7 @@ public class AnnotationWriter extends BasicWriter {
                     print(".");
                     writeIndex(ev.constantName(), resolveIndices);
                 } else {
-                    print(ev.tag() + "#" + ev.className().index() + ".#"
+                    print(tagChar + "#" + ev.className().index() + ".#"
                             + ev.constantName().index());
                 }
             }
@@ -280,11 +281,11 @@ public class AnnotationWriter extends BasicWriter {
                     print("class ");
                     writeIndex(ev.className(), resolveIndices);
                 } else {
-                    print(ev.tag() + "#" + ev.className().index());
+                    print(tagChar + "#" + ev.className().index());
                 }
             }
             case AnnotationValue.OfAnnotation ev -> {
-                print(ev.tag());
+                print(tagChar);
                 AnnotationWriter.this.write(ev.annotation(), resolveIndices);
             }
             case AnnotationValue.OfArray ev -> {
diff --git a/test/langtools/tools/javac/classfiles/attributes/AnnotationDefault/ExpectedValues.java b/test/langtools/tools/javac/classfiles/attributes/AnnotationDefault/ExpectedValues.java
index 752ebc844eb..f5e23f65e88 100644
--- a/test/langtools/tools/javac/classfiles/attributes/AnnotationDefault/ExpectedValues.java
+++ b/test/langtools/tools/javac/classfiles/attributes/AnnotationDefault/ExpectedValues.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2014, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2014, 2024, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
 
 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
 public @interface ExpectedValues {
-    char tag();
+    int tag();
     String name();
     String[] values();
 }