diff --git a/include/haproxy/applet-t.h b/include/haproxy/applet-t.h
index 51b3b4c8b..71fb57ecd 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/applet-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/applet-t.h
@@ -31,15 +31,17 @@
 #include <haproxy/xref-t.h>
 
 /* flags for appctx->state */
-#define APPLET_WANT_DIE     0x01  /* applet was running and requested to die */
-#define APPLET_INBLK_ALLOC  0x02
-#define APPLET_INBLK_FULL   0x04
-#define APPLET_OUTBLK_ALLOC 0x08
-#define APPLET_OUTBLK_FULL  0x10
+#define APPLET_WANT_DIE      0x01  /* applet was running and requested to die */
 
 /* Room for per-command context (mostly CLI commands but not only) */
 #define APPLET_MAX_SVCCTX 88
 
+/* Appctx Flags */
+#define APPCTX_FL_INBLK_ALLOC    0x00000001
+#define APPCTX_FL_INBLK_FULL     0x00000002
+#define APPCTX_FL_OUTBLK_ALLOC   0x00000004
+#define APPCTX_FL_OUTBLK_FULL    0x00000008
+
 struct appctx;
 struct proxy;
 struct stconn;
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ struct appctx {
 	unsigned int st0;          /* CLI state for stats, session state for peers */
 	unsigned int st1;          /* prompt/payload (bitwise OR of APPCTX_CLI_ST1_*) for stats, session error for peers */
 
+	unsigned int flags;        /* APPCTX_FL_* */
 	struct buffer inbuf;
 	struct buffer outbuf;
 
diff --git a/include/haproxy/applet.h b/include/haproxy/applet.h
index 9b4f5744b..6915eb3fc 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/applet.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/applet.h
@@ -145,6 +145,36 @@ static inline struct stream *appctx_strm(const struct appctx *appctx)
 	return __sc_strm(appctx->sedesc->sc);
 }
 
+static forceinline void applet_fl_zero(struct appctx *appctx)
+{
+	appctx->flags = 0;
+}
+
+static forceinline void applet_fl_setall(struct appctx *appctx, uint all)
+{
+	appctx->flags = all;
+}
+
+static forceinline void applet_fl_set(struct appctx *appctx, uint on)
+{
+	appctx->flags |= on;
+}
+
+static forceinline void applet_fl_clr(struct appctx *appctx, uint off)
+{
+	appctx->flags &= ~off;
+}
+
+static forceinline uint applet_fl_test(const struct appctx *appctx, uint test)
+{
+	return !!(appctx->flags & test);
+}
+
+static forceinline uint applet_fl_get(const struct appctx *appctx)
+{
+	return appctx->flags;
+}
+
 /* The applet announces it has more data to deliver to the stream's input
  * buffer.
  */
diff --git a/src/applet.c b/src/applet.c
index d93e37a40..27c1f7f40 100644
--- a/src/applet.c
+++ b/src/applet.c
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ struct appctx *appctx_new_on(struct applet *applet, struct sedesc *sedesc, int t
 		appctx->t->process = task_run_applet;
 	appctx->t->context = appctx;
 
+	appctx->flags = 0;
 	appctx->inbuf = BUF_NULL;
 	appctx->outbuf = BUF_NULL;
 
@@ -414,15 +415,15 @@ int appctx_buf_available(void *arg)
 	struct appctx *appctx = arg;
 	struct stconn *sc = appctx_sc(appctx);
 
-	if ((appctx->state & APPLET_INBLK_ALLOC) && b_alloc(&appctx->inbuf)) {
-		appctx->state &= ~APPLET_INBLK_ALLOC;
+	if (applet_fl_test(appctx, APPCTX_FL_INBLK_ALLOC) && b_alloc(&appctx->inbuf)) {
+		applet_fl_clr(appctx, APPCTX_FL_INBLK_ALLOC);
 		TRACE_STATE("unblocking appctx, inbuf allocated", APPLET_EV_RECV|APPLET_EV_BLK|APPLET_EV_WAKE, appctx);
 		task_wakeup(appctx->t, TASK_WOKEN_RES);
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	if ((appctx->state & APPLET_OUTBLK_ALLOC) && b_alloc(&appctx->outbuf)) {
-		appctx->state &= ~APPLET_OUTBLK_ALLOC;
+	if (applet_fl_test(appctx, APPCTX_FL_OUTBLK_ALLOC) && b_alloc(&appctx->outbuf)) {
+		applet_fl_clr(appctx, APPCTX_FL_OUTBLK_ALLOC);
 		TRACE_STATE("unblocking appctx, outbuf allocated", APPLET_EV_SEND|APPLET_EV_BLK|APPLET_EV_WAKE, appctx);
 		task_wakeup(appctx->t, TASK_WOKEN_RES);
 		return 1;
@@ -455,14 +456,14 @@ size_t appctx_rcv_buf(struct stconn *sc, struct buffer *buf, size_t count, unsig
 
 	TRACE_ENTER(APPLET_EV_RECV, appctx);
 
-	if (appctx->state & APPLET_OUTBLK_ALLOC)
+	if (applet_fl_test(appctx, APPCTX_FL_OUTBLK_ALLOC))
 		goto end;
 
 	if (!count)
 		goto end;
 
 	if (!appctx_get_buf(appctx, &appctx->outbuf)) {
-		appctx->state |= APPLET_OUTBLK_ALLOC;
+		applet_fl_set(appctx, APPCTX_FL_OUTBLK_ALLOC);
 		TRACE_STATE("waiting for appctx outbuf allocation", APPLET_EV_RECV|APPLET_EV_BLK, appctx);
 		goto end;
 	}
@@ -505,7 +506,7 @@ size_t appctx_rcv_buf(struct stconn *sc, struct buffer *buf, size_t count, unsig
 
   done:
 	if (ret)
-		appctx->state |= APPLET_OUTBLK_FULL;
+		applet_fl_clr(appctx, APPCTX_FL_OUTBLK_FULL);
 
 	if (b_data(&appctx->outbuf)) {
 		se_fl_set(appctx->sedesc, SE_FL_RCV_MORE | SE_FL_WANT_ROOM);
@@ -528,14 +529,14 @@ size_t appctx_snd_buf(struct stconn *sc, struct buffer *buf, size_t count, unsig
 
 	TRACE_ENTER(APPLET_EV_SEND, appctx);
 
-	if (appctx->state & (APPLET_INBLK_FULL|APPLET_INBLK_ALLOC))
+	if (applet_fl_test(appctx, (APPCTX_FL_INBLK_FULL|APPCTX_FL_INBLK_ALLOC)))
 		goto end;
 
 	if (!count)
 		goto end;
 
 	if (!appctx_get_buf(appctx, &appctx->inbuf)) {
-		appctx->state |= APPLET_INBLK_ALLOC;
+		applet_fl_set(appctx, APPCTX_FL_INBLK_ALLOC);
 		TRACE_STATE("waiting for appctx inbuf allocation", APPLET_EV_SEND|APPLET_EV_BLK, appctx);
 		goto end;
 	}
@@ -567,7 +568,7 @@ size_t appctx_snd_buf(struct stconn *sc, struct buffer *buf, size_t count, unsig
 
   done:
 	if (ret < count) {
-		appctx->state |= APPLET_INBLK_FULL;
+		applet_fl_set(appctx, APPCTX_FL_INBLK_FULL);
 		TRACE_STATE("report appctx inbuf is full", APPLET_EV_SEND|APPLET_EV_BLK, appctx);
 	}