diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index db1a420ab6..2146104de8 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -1169,7 +1169,8 @@ cleanup:
 int odb_source_loose_write_object(struct odb_source *source,
 				  const void *buf, unsigned long len,
 				  enum object_type type, struct object_id *oid,
-				  struct object_id *compat_oid_in, unsigned flags)
+				  struct object_id *compat_oid_in,
+				  enum odb_write_object_flags flags)
 {
 	const struct git_hash_algo *algo = source->odb->repo->hash_algo;
 	const struct git_hash_algo *compat = source->odb->repo->compat_hash_algo;
diff --git a/object-file.h b/object-file.h
index 3686f182e4..5241b8dd5c 100644
--- a/object-file.h
+++ b/object-file.h
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ int odb_source_loose_freshen_object(struct odb_source *source,
 int odb_source_loose_write_object(struct odb_source *source,
 				  const void *buf, unsigned long len,
 				  enum object_type type, struct object_id *oid,
-				  struct object_id *compat_oid_in, unsigned flags);
+				  struct object_id *compat_oid_in,
+				  enum odb_write_object_flags flags);
 
 int odb_source_loose_write_stream(struct odb_source *source,
 				  struct odb_write_stream *stream, size_t len,
diff --git a/odb.c b/odb.c
index 9a11c60048..8220661356 100644
--- a/odb.c
+++ b/odb.c
@@ -1053,7 +1053,7 @@ int odb_write_object_ext(struct object_database *odb,
 			 enum object_type type,
 			 struct object_id *oid,
 			 struct object_id *compat_oid,
-			 unsigned flags)
+			 enum odb_write_object_flags flags)
 {
 	return odb_source_write_object(odb->sources, buf, len, type,
 				       oid, compat_oid, flags);
diff --git a/odb.h b/odb.h
index 083c25609e..9aadc1177a 100644
--- a/odb.h
+++ b/odb.h
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ int odb_find_abbrev_len(struct object_database *odb,
 			int min_len,
 			unsigned *out);
 
-enum {
+enum odb_write_object_flags {
 	/*
 	 * By default, `odb_write_object()` does not actually write anything
 	 * into the object store, but only computes the object ID. This flag
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ int odb_write_object_ext(struct object_database *odb,
 			 enum object_type type,
 			 struct object_id *oid,
 			 struct object_id *compat_oid,
-			 unsigned flags);
+			 enum odb_write_object_flags flags);
 
 static inline int odb_write_object(struct object_database *odb,
 				   const void *buf, unsigned long len,
diff --git a/odb/source-files.c b/odb/source-files.c
index 76797569de..b5abd20e97 100644
--- a/odb/source-files.c
+++ b/odb/source-files.c
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static int odb_source_files_write_object(struct odb_source *source,
 					 enum object_type type,
 					 struct object_id *oid,
 					 struct object_id *compat_oid,
-					 unsigned flags)
+					 enum odb_write_object_flags flags)
 {
 	return odb_source_loose_write_object(source, buf, len, type,
 					     oid, compat_oid, flags);
diff --git a/odb/source.h b/odb/source.h
index a9d7d0b96f..f706e0608a 100644
--- a/odb/source.h
+++ b/odb/source.h
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ struct odb_source {
 			    enum object_type type,
 			    struct object_id *oid,
 			    struct object_id *compat_oid,
-			    unsigned flags);
+			    enum odb_write_object_flags flags);
 
 	/*
 	 * This callback is expected to persist the given object stream into
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ static inline int odb_source_write_object(struct odb_source *source,
 					  enum object_type type,
 					  struct object_id *oid,
 					  struct object_id *compat_oid,
-					  unsigned flags)
+					  enum odb_write_object_flags flags)
 {
 	return source->write_object(source, buf, len, type, oid,
 				    compat_oid, flags);