diff --git a/tar/bsdtar.c b/tar/bsdtar.c
index 93bf60a..8c7ffe8 100644
--- a/tar/bsdtar.c
+++ b/tar/bsdtar.c
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@
 	char			 compression, compression2;
 	const char		*compression_name, *compression2_name;
 	const char		*compress_program;
-	char			 option_a, option_o;
 	char			 possible_help_request;
 	char			 buff[16];
 
@@ -150,7 +149,7 @@
 	bsdtar->fd = -1; /* Mark as "unused" */
 	bsdtar->gid = -1;
 	bsdtar->uid = -1;
-	option_a = option_o = 0;
+	bsdtar->flags = 0;
 	compression = compression2 = '\0';
 	compression_name = compression2_name = NULL;
 	compress_program = NULL;
@@ -252,7 +251,7 @@
 	while ((opt = bsdtar_getopt(bsdtar)) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 'a': /* GNU tar */
-			option_a = 1; /* Record it and resolve it later. */
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_AUTO_COMPRESS;
 			break;
 		case 'B': /* GNU tar */
 			/* libarchive doesn't need this; just ignore it. */
@@ -285,10 +284,10 @@
 			set_mode(bsdtar, opt);
 			break;
 		case OPTION_CHECK_LINKS: /* GNU tar */
-			bsdtar->option_warn_links = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_WARN_LINKS;
 			break;
 		case OPTION_CHROOT: /* NetBSD */
-			bsdtar->option_chroot = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_CHROOT;
 			break;
 		case OPTION_CLEAR_NOCHANGE_FFLAGS:
 			bsdtar->extract_flags |=
@@ -344,7 +343,7 @@
 			    ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_HFS_COMPRESSION_FORCED;
 			break;
 		case OPTION_IGNORE_ZEROS:
-			bsdtar->option_ignore_zeros = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_IGNORE_ZEROS;
 			break;
 		case 'I': /* GNU tar */
 			/*
@@ -398,7 +397,7 @@
 			break;
 	        case 'l': /* SUSv2 and GNU tar beginning with 1.16 */
 			/* GNU tar 1.13  used -l for --one-file-system */
-			bsdtar->option_warn_links = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_WARN_LINKS;
 			break;
 		case OPTION_LRZIP:
 		case OPTION_LZ4:
@@ -422,7 +421,7 @@
 			bsdtar->extract_flags &= ~ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_TIME;
 			break;
 		case 'n': /* GNU tar */
-			bsdtar->option_no_subdirs = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_NO_SUBDIRS;
 			break;
 	        /*
 		 * Selecting files by time:
@@ -479,20 +478,21 @@
 		case OPTION_NO_XATTR: /* Issue #131 */
 			bsdtar->extract_flags &= ~ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_XATTR;
 			bsdtar->readdisk_flags |= ARCHIVE_READDISK_NO_XATTR;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_NO_XATTR;
 			break;
 		case OPTION_NULL: /* GNU tar */
-			bsdtar->option_null++;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_NULL;
 			break;
 		case OPTION_NUMERIC_OWNER: /* GNU tar */
 			bsdtar->uname = "";
 			bsdtar->gname = "";
-			bsdtar->option_numeric_owner++;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_NUMERIC_OWNER;
 			break;
 		case 'O': /* GNU tar */
-			bsdtar->option_stdout = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_STDOUT;
 			break;
 		case 'o': /* SUSv2 and GNU conflict here, but not fatally */
-			option_o = 1; /* Record it and resolve it later. */
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_O;
 			break;
 	        /*
 		 * Selecting files by time:
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@
 #endif
 		case 'P': /* GNU tar */
 			bsdtar->extract_flags &= ~SECURITY;
-			bsdtar->option_absolute_paths = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_ABSOLUTE_PATHS;
 			break;
 		case 'p': /* GNU tar, star */
 			bsdtar->extract_flags |= ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_PERM;
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@
 			cset_set_format(bsdtar->cset, "pax");
 			break;
 		case 'q': /* FreeBSD GNU tar --fast-read, NetBSD -q */
-			bsdtar->option_fast_read = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_FAST_READ;
 			break;
 		case 'r': /* SUSv2 */
 			set_mode(bsdtar, opt);
@@ -601,11 +601,11 @@
 			bsdtar->verbose++;
 			break;
 		case OPTION_TOTALS: /* GNU tar */
-			bsdtar->option_totals++;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_TOTALS;
 			break;
 		case 'U': /* GNU tar */
 			bsdtar->extract_flags |= ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_UNLINK;
-			bsdtar->option_unlink_first = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_UNLINK_FIRST;
 			break;
 		case 'u': /* SUSv2 */
 			set_mode(bsdtar, opt);
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@
 			break;
 #endif
 		case 'w': /* SUSv2 */
-			bsdtar->option_interactive = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_INTERACTIVE;
 			break;
 		case 'X': /* GNU tar */
 			if (archive_match_exclude_pattern_from_file(
@@ -703,11 +703,11 @@
 		    "Must specify one of -c, -r, -t, -u, -x");
 
 	/* Check boolean options only permitted in certain modes. */
-	if (option_a)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_AUTO_COMPRESS)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "-a", "c");
 	if (bsdtar->readdisk_flags & ARCHIVE_READDISK_NO_TRAVERSE_MOUNTS)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "--one-file-system", "cru");
-	if (bsdtar->option_fast_read)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_FAST_READ)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "--fast-read", "xt");
 	if (bsdtar->extract_flags & ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_HFS_COMPRESSION_FORCED)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "--hfsCompression", "x");
@@ -715,9 +715,9 @@
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "--nopreserveHFSCompression", "x");
 	if (bsdtar->readdisk_flags & ARCHIVE_READDISK_HONOR_NODUMP)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "--nodump", "cru");
-	if (bsdtar->readdisk_flags & ARCHIVE_READDISK_NO_XATTR)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_NO_XATTR)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "--no-xattr", "crux");
-	if (option_o > 0) {
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_O) {
 		switch (bsdtar->mode) {
 		case 'c':
 			/*
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@
 			break;
 		case 'x':
 			/* POSIX-compatible behavior. */
-			bsdtar->option_no_owner = 1;
+			bsdtar->flags |= OPTFLAG_NO_OWNER;
 			bsdtar->extract_flags &= ~ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_OWNER;
 			break;
 		default:
@@ -738,16 +738,17 @@
 			break;
 		}
 	}
-	if (bsdtar->option_no_subdirs)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_NO_SUBDIRS)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "-n", "cru");
-	if (bsdtar->option_stdout)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_STDOUT)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "-O", "xt");
-	if (bsdtar->option_unlink_first)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_UNLINK_FIRST)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "-U", "x");
-	if (bsdtar->option_warn_links)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_WARN_LINKS)
 		only_mode(bsdtar, "--check-links", "cr");
 
-	if (option_a && cset_auto_compress(bsdtar->cset, bsdtar->filename)) {
+	if ((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_AUTO_COMPRESS) &&
+	    cset_auto_compress(bsdtar->cset, bsdtar->filename)) {
 		/* Ignore specified compressions if auto-compress works. */
 		compression = '\0';
 		compression2 = '\0';
diff --git a/tar/bsdtar.h b/tar/bsdtar.h
index 4b84ba1..89cf2f9 100644
--- a/tar/bsdtar.h
+++ b/tar/bsdtar.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 	int		  bytes_per_block; /* -b block_size */
 	int		  bytes_in_last_block; /* See -b handling. */
 	int		  verbose;   /* -v */
+	int		  flags; /* Bitfield of boolean options */
 	int		  extract_flags; /* Flags for extract operation */
 	int		  readdisk_flags; /* Flags for read disk operation */
 	int		  strip_components; /* Remove this many leading dirs */
@@ -60,20 +61,7 @@
 	const char	 *passphrase; /* --passphrase */
 	char		  mode; /* Program mode: 'c', 't', 'r', 'u', 'x' */
 	char		  symlink_mode; /* H or L, per BSD conventions */
-	char		  option_absolute_paths; /* -P */
-	char		  option_chroot; /* --chroot */
-	char		  option_fast_read; /* --fast-read */
 	const char	 *option_options; /* --options */
-	char		  option_ignore_zeros; /* --ignore-zeros */
-	char		  option_interactive; /* -w */
-	char		  option_no_owner; /* -o */
-	char		  option_no_subdirs; /* -n */
-	char		  option_numeric_owner; /* --numeric-owner */
-	char		  option_null; /* --null */
-	char		  option_stdout; /* -O */
-	char		  option_totals; /* --totals */
-	char		  option_unlink_first; /* -U */
-	char		  option_warn_links; /* --check-links */
 	char		  day_first; /* show day before month in -tv output */
 	struct creation_set *cset;
 
@@ -114,6 +102,24 @@
 	char			*ppbuff;	/* for util.c */
 };
 
+/* Options for flags bitfield */
+#define	OPTFLAG_AUTO_COMPRESS	(0x00000001)	/* -a */
+#define	OPTFLAG_ABSOLUTE_PATHS	(0x00000002)	/* -P */
+#define	OPTFLAG_CHROOT		(0x00000004)	/* --chroot */
+#define	OPTFLAG_FAST_READ	(0x00000008)	/* --fast-read */
+#define	OPTFLAG_IGNORE_ZEROS	(0x00000010)	/* --ignore-zeros */
+#define	OPTFLAG_INTERACTIVE	(0x00000020)	/* -w */
+#define	OPTFLAG_NO_OWNER	(0x00000040)	/* -o */
+#define	OPTFLAG_NO_SUBDIRS	(0x00000080)	/* -n */
+#define	OPTFLAG_NULL		(0x00000100)	/* --null */
+#define	OPTFLAG_NUMERIC_OWNER	(0x00000200)	/* --numeric-owner */
+#define	OPTFLAG_O		(0x00000400)	/* -o */
+#define	OPTFLAG_STDOUT		(0x00000800)	/* -O */
+#define	OPTFLAG_TOTALS		(0x00001000)	/* --totals */
+#define	OPTFLAG_UNLINK_FIRST	(0x00002000)	/* -U */
+#define	OPTFLAG_WARN_LINKS	(0x00004000)	/* --check-links */
+#define	OPTFLAG_NO_XATTR	(0x00008000)	/* --no-xattr */
+
 /* Fake short equivalents for long options that otherwise lack them. */
 enum {
 	OPTION_B64ENCODE = 1,
diff --git a/tar/read.c b/tar/read.c
index 3c6cb0c..658c810 100644
--- a/tar/read.c
+++ b/tar/read.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
 	writer = archive_write_disk_new();
 	if (writer == NULL)
 		lafe_errc(1, ENOMEM, "Cannot allocate disk writer object");
-	if (!bsdtar->option_numeric_owner)
+	if ((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_NUMERIC_OWNER) == 0)
 		archive_write_disk_set_standard_lookup(writer);
 	archive_write_disk_set_options(writer, bsdtar->extract_flags);
 
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
 	if (bsdtar->names_from_file != NULL)
 		if (archive_match_include_pattern_from_file(
 		    bsdtar->matching, bsdtar->names_from_file,
-		    bsdtar->option_null) != ARCHIVE_OK)
+		    (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_NULL)) != ARCHIVE_OK)
 			lafe_errc(1, 0, "Error inclusion pattern: %s",
 			    archive_error_string(bsdtar->matching));
 
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@
 	}
 	if (ARCHIVE_OK != archive_read_set_options(a, bsdtar->option_options))
 		lafe_errc(1, 0, "%s", archive_error_string(a));
-	if (bsdtar->option_ignore_zeros)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_IGNORE_ZEROS)
 		if (archive_read_set_options(a,
 		    "read_concatenated_archives") != ARCHIVE_OK)
 			lafe_errc(1, 0, "%s", archive_error_string(a));
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
 		    &progress_data);
 	}
 
-	if (mode == 'x' && bsdtar->option_chroot) {
+	if (mode == 'x' && (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_CHROOT)) {
 #if HAVE_CHROOT
 		if (chroot(".") != 0)
 			lafe_errc(1, errno, "Can't chroot to \".\"");
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@
 	}
 
 #if defined(_WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
-	if (mode == 'x' && bsdtar->option_stdout) {
+	if (mode == 'x' && (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_STDOUT)) {
 		_setmode(1, _O_BINARY);
 	}
 #endif
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@
 	for (;;) {
 		/* Support --fast-read option */
 		const char *p;
-		if (bsdtar->option_fast_read &&
+		if ((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_FAST_READ) &&
 		    archive_match_path_unmatched_inclusions(bsdtar->matching) == 0)
 			break;
 
@@ -307,7 +307,8 @@
 		if (mode == 't') {
 			/* Perversely, gtar uses -O to mean "send to stderr"
 			 * when used with -t. */
-			out = bsdtar->option_stdout ? stderr : stdout;
+			out = (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_STDOUT) ?
+			    stderr : stdout;
 
 			/*
 			 * TODO: Provide some reasonable way to
@@ -345,7 +346,7 @@
 			if (edit_pathname(bsdtar, entry))
 				continue; /* Excluded by a rewrite failure. */
 
-			if (bsdtar->option_interactive &&
+			if ((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_INTERACTIVE) &&
 			    !yes("extract '%s'", archive_entry_pathname(entry)))
 				continue;
 
@@ -364,7 +365,7 @@
 
 			/* TODO siginfo_printinfo(bsdtar, 0); */
 
-			if (bsdtar->option_stdout)
+			if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_STDOUT)
 				r = archive_read_data_into_fd(a, 1);
 			else
 				r = archive_read_extract2(a, entry, writer);
diff --git a/tar/util.c b/tar/util.c
index 8f65b17..662db5b 100644
--- a/tar/util.c
+++ b/tar/util.c
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!bsdtar->option_absolute_paths) {
+	if ((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_ABSOLUTE_PATHS) == 0) {
 		/* By default, don't write or restore absolute pathnames. */
 		name = strip_absolute_path(bsdtar, name);
 		if (*name == '\0')
diff --git a/tar/write.c b/tar/write.c
index 532abb2..9c24566 100644
--- a/tar/write.c
+++ b/tar/write.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@
 	archive_read_free(bsdtar->diskreader);
 	bsdtar->diskreader = NULL;
 
-	if (bsdtar->option_totals) {
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_TOTALS) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Total bytes written: %s\n",
 		    tar_i64toa(archive_filter_bytes(a, -1)));
 	}
@@ -606,7 +606,8 @@
 
 	bsdtar->next_line_is_dir = 0;
 
-	lr = lafe_line_reader(bsdtar->names_from_file, bsdtar->option_null);
+	lr = lafe_line_reader(bsdtar->names_from_file,
+	    (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_NULL));
 	while ((line = lafe_line_reader_next(lr)) != NULL) {
 		if (bsdtar->next_line_is_dir) {
 			if (*line != '\0')
@@ -617,7 +618,8 @@
 				bsdtar->return_value = 1;
 			}
 			bsdtar->next_line_is_dir = 0;
-		} else if (!bsdtar->option_null && strcmp(line, "-C") == 0)
+		} else if (((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_NULL) == 0) &&
+		    strcmp(line, "-C") == 0)
 			bsdtar->next_line_is_dir = 1;
 		else {
 			if (*line != '/')
@@ -690,7 +692,7 @@
 	while (ARCHIVE_OK == (e = archive_read_next_header(ina, &in_entry))) {
 		if (archive_match_excluded(bsdtar->matching, in_entry))
 			continue;
-		if (bsdtar->option_interactive &&
+		if ((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_INTERACTIVE) &&
 		    !yes("copy '%s'", archive_entry_pathname(in_entry)))
 			continue;
 		if (bsdtar->verbose > 1) {
@@ -809,11 +811,11 @@
 {
 	struct bsdtar *bsdtar = (struct bsdtar *)_data;
 
-	if (bsdtar->option_no_subdirs)
+	if (bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_NO_SUBDIRS)
 		return;
 	if (!archive_read_disk_can_descend(a))
 		return;
-	if (bsdtar->option_interactive &&
+	if ((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_INTERACTIVE) &&
 	    !yes("add '%s'", archive_entry_pathname(entry)))
 		return;
 	archive_read_disk_descend(a);
@@ -844,12 +846,13 @@
 	 * check would veto this file, we shouldn't bother
 	 * the user with it.
 	 */
-	if (bsdtar->option_interactive &&
+	if ((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_INTERACTIVE) &&
 	    !yes("add '%s'", archive_entry_pathname(entry)))
 		return (0);
 
 	/* Note: if user vetoes, we won't descend. */
-	if (!bsdtar->option_no_subdirs && archive_read_disk_can_descend(a))
+	if (((bsdtar->flags & OPTFLAG_NO_SUBDIRS) == 0) &&
+	    archive_read_disk_can_descend(a))
 		archive_read_disk_descend(a);
 
 	return (1);