diff --git a/swh/loader/core/loader.py b/swh/loader/core/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/core/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/core/loader.py
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@
                        })
 
     @retry(retry_on_exception=retry_loading, stop_max_attempt_number=3)
-    def send_origin_visit(self, visit_date):
+    def send_origin_visit(self, visit_date, visit_type):
         log_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
         self.log.debug(
             'Creating origin_visit for origin %s at time %s' % (
@@ -258,10 +258,10 @@
                 'swh_id': log_id
             })
         origin_visit = self.storage.origin_visit_add(
-            self.origin['url'], visit_date)
+            self.origin['url'], visit_date, visit_type)
         self.log.debug(
-            'Done Creating origin_visit for origin %s at time %s' % (
-                self.origin['url'], visit_date),
+            'Done Creating %s origin_visit for origin %s at time %s' % (
+                visit_type, self.origin['url'], visit_date),
             extra={
                 'swh_type': 'storage_send_end',
                 'swh_content_type': 'origin_visit',
@@ -745,7 +745,8 @@
 
         if not self.visit_date:  # now as default visit_date if not provided
             self.visit_date = datetime.datetime.now(tz=datetime.timezone.utc)
-        self.origin_visit = self.send_origin_visit(self.visit_date)
+        self.origin_visit = self.send_origin_visit(
+            self.visit_date, self.visit_type)
         self.visit = self.origin_visit['visit']
 
     @abstractmethod
diff --git a/swh/loader/core/tests/test_loader.py b/swh/loader/core/tests/test_loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/core/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/core/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
 class DummyBaseLoaderTest(BaseLoaderTest):
     def setUp(self):
         self.loader = self.loader_class(logging_class='dummyloader')
+        self.loader.visit_type = 'git'
         # do not call voluntarily super().setUp()
         self.storage = self.loader.storage
         contents = [
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@
             },
         ]
         self.in_origin = {
-            'type': 'git',
+            'type': self.loader.visit_type,
             'url': 'http://example.com/',
         }
         self.in_snapshot = {
diff --git a/swh/loader/package/loader.py b/swh/loader/package/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/package/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/package/loader.py
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
     }
     REVISION_MESSAGE = b'swh-loader-package: synthetic revision message'
 
+    visit_type = 'gnu'
+
     def __init__(self):
         self.TEMPORARY_DIR_PREFIX_PATTERN = 'swh.loader.gnu.'
         super().__init__(logging_class='swh.loader.package.GNULoader')
@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@
 
         self.origin = {
             'url': origin_url,
-            'type': 'gnu',
+            'type': self.visit_type,
         }
 
         self.visit_date = None  # loader core will populate it