diff --git a/src/buffer.cc b/src/buffer.cc
index 4b53d210..6d3fb11c 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cc
+++ b/src/buffer.cc
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
-Buffer::Buffer(String name, Type type,
+Buffer::Buffer(String name, Flags flags,
                String initial_content)
-    : m_name(std::move(name)), m_type(type),
+    : m_name(std::move(name)), m_flags(flags),
       m_history(1), m_history_cursor(m_history.begin()),
       m_last_save_undo_index(0),
       m_timestamp(0),
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ Buffer::Buffer(String name, Type type,
 
     Editor editor_for_hooks(*this);
     Context context(editor_for_hooks);
-    if (type == Type::NewFile)
+    if (flags & Flags::File and flags & Flags::New)
         m_hook_manager.run_hook("BufNew", m_name, context);
-    else if (type == Type::File)
+    else
         m_hook_manager.run_hook("BufOpen", m_name, context);
 
     m_hook_manager.run_hook("BufCreate", m_name, context);
diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index 807f8acd..0d1ffa92 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -95,20 +95,22 @@ public:
 class Buffer : public SafeCountable
 {
 public:
-    enum class Type
+    enum class Flags
     {
-        File,
-        NewFile,
-        Scratch
+        None = 0,
+        File = 1,
+        New  = 2,
+        Fifo = 4
     };
 
-    Buffer(String name, Type type, String initial_content = "\n");
+    Buffer(String name, Flags flags, String initial_content = "\n");
     Buffer(const Buffer&) = delete;
     Buffer(Buffer&&) = delete;
     Buffer& operator= (const Buffer&) = delete;
     ~Buffer();
 
-    Type type() const { return m_type; }
+    Flags flags() const { return m_flags; }
+    Flags& flags() { return m_flags; }
 
     void insert(BufferIterator pos, String content);
     void erase(BufferIterator begin, BufferIterator end);
@@ -207,7 +209,7 @@ private:
     void do_erase(const BufferIterator& begin, const BufferIterator& end);
 
     String  m_name;
-    const Type   m_type;
+    Flags   m_flags;
 
     struct Modification;
     typedef std::vector<Modification> UndoGroup;
@@ -232,6 +234,34 @@ private:
     HookManager   m_hook_manager;
 };
 
+constexpr Buffer::Flags operator|(Buffer::Flags lhs, Buffer::Flags rhs)
+{
+    return (Buffer::Flags)((int) lhs | (int) rhs);
+}
+
+inline Buffer::Flags& operator|=(Buffer::Flags& lhs, Buffer::Flags rhs)
+{
+    (int&) lhs |= (int) rhs;
+    return lhs;
+}
+
+constexpr bool operator&(Buffer::Flags lhs, Buffer::Flags rhs)
+{
+    return ((int) lhs & (int) rhs) != 0;
+}
+
+inline Buffer::Flags& operator&=(Buffer::Flags& lhs, Buffer::Flags rhs)
+{
+    (int&) lhs &= (int) rhs;
+    return lhs;
+}
+
+constexpr Buffer::Flags operator~(Buffer::Flags lhs)
+{
+    return (Buffer::Flags)(~(int)lhs);
+}
+
+
 }
 
 #include "buffer_iterator.inl.hh"
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 2712722b..af2f8b50 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ Buffer* open_or_create(const String& filename, Context& context)
     if (not buffer)
     {
         context.print_status("new file " + filename);
-        buffer = new Buffer(filename, Buffer::Type::NewFile);
+        buffer = new Buffer(filename, Buffer::Flags::File | Buffer::Flags::New);
     }
     return buffer;
 }
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ Buffer* open_fifo(const String& name , const String& filename, Context& context)
     int fd = open(filename.c_str(), O_RDONLY);
     if (fd < 0)
        throw runtime_error("unable to open " + filename);
-    Buffer* buffer = new Buffer(name, Buffer::Type::Scratch);
+    Buffer* buffer = new Buffer(name, Buffer::Flags::Fifo);
 
     buffer->hook_manager().add_hook(
         "BufClose", [=](const String&, const Context&)
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ void edit(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
     if (not buffer)
     {
         if (parser.has_option("scratch"))
-            buffer = new Buffer(name, Buffer::Type::Scratch);
+            buffer = new Buffer(name, Buffer::Flags::None);
         else if (parser.has_option("fifo"))
             buffer = open_fifo(name, parser.option_value("fifo"), context);
         else
@@ -311,8 +311,8 @@ void write_buffer(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
 
     Buffer& buffer = context.buffer();
 
-    if (params.empty() and buffer.type() == Buffer::Type::Scratch)
-        throw runtime_error("cannot write scratch buffer without a filename");
+    if (params.empty() and !(buffer.flags() & Buffer::Flags::File))
+        throw runtime_error("cannot write a non file buffer without a filename");
 
     String filename = params.empty() ? buffer.name()
                                      : parse_filename(params[0]);
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ void write_all_buffers(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
 
     for (auto& buffer : BufferManager::instance())
     {
-        if (buffer->type() != Buffer::Type::Scratch and buffer->is_modified())
+        if ((buffer->flags() & Buffer::Flags::File) and buffer->is_modified())
         {
             write_buffer_to_file(*buffer, buffer->name());
             buffer->notify_saved();
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ void quit(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
         std::vector<String> names;
         for (auto& buffer : BufferManager::instance())
         {
-            if (buffer->type() != Buffer::Type::Scratch and buffer->is_modified())
+            if (buffer->flags() != Buffer::Flags::File and buffer->is_modified())
                 names.push_back(buffer->name());
         }
         if (not names.empty())
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ void delete_buffer(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
         if (not buffer)
             throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer_name + " does not exists");
     }
-    if (buffer->type()!= Buffer::Type::Scratch and buffer->is_modified())
+    if (buffer->flags() & Buffer::Flags::File and buffer->is_modified())
         throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer->name() + " is modified");
 
     if (manager.count() == 1)
diff --git a/src/debug.cc b/src/debug.cc
index 7f4c1c60..ec6cef47 100644
--- a/src/debug.cc
+++ b/src/debug.cc
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ static Buffer& get_or_create_debug_buffer()
     Buffer* buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer(debug_buffer_name);
 
     if (not buffer)
-        buffer = new Buffer(debug_buffer_name, Buffer::Type::Scratch, "");
+        buffer = new Buffer(debug_buffer_name, Buffer::Flags::None, "");
 
     assert(buffer);
     return *buffer;
diff --git a/src/file.cc b/src/file.cc
index 10d6b273..a5accf96 100644
--- a/src/file.cc
+++ b/src/file.cc
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ Buffer* create_buffer_from_file(const String& filename)
     if (Buffer* buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer(filename))
         delete buffer;
 
-    Buffer* buffer = new Buffer(filename, Buffer::Type::File, "");
+    Buffer* buffer = new Buffer(filename, Buffer::Flags::File, "");
 
     String content;
     char buf[256];
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index fe697e1b..0aa10289 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -608,11 +608,11 @@ void create_local_client(const String& file)
         if (not buffer)
         {
             ui->print_status("new file " + file, -1);
-            buffer = new Buffer(file, Buffer::Type::NewFile);
+            buffer = new Buffer(file, Buffer::Flags::New | Buffer::Flags::File);
         }
     }
     else
-        buffer = new Buffer("*scratch*", Buffer::Type::Scratch);
+        buffer = new Buffer("*scratch*", Buffer::Flags::None);
 
     ClientManager::instance().create_client(
         std::unique_ptr<UserInterface>{ui}, *buffer, 0);
diff --git a/src/unit_tests.cc b/src/unit_tests.cc
index c5dec5c5..68474363 100644
--- a/src/unit_tests.cc
+++ b/src/unit_tests.cc
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ using namespace Kakoune;
 
 void test_buffer()
 {
-    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Type::Scratch, "allo ?\nmais que fais la police\n hein ?\n youpi\n");
+    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, "allo ?\nmais que fais la police\n hein ?\n youpi\n");
     assert(buffer.line_count() == 4);
 
     BufferIterator i = buffer.begin();
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void test_buffer()
 
 void test_editor()
 {
-    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Type::Scratch, "test\n\nyoupi\n");
+    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, "test\n\nyoupi\n");
     Editor editor(buffer);
 
     using namespace std::placeholders;
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void test_editor()
 
 void test_incremental_inserter()
 {
-    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Type::Scratch, "test\n\nyoupi\nmatin\n");
+    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, "test\n\nyoupi\nmatin\n");
     Editor editor(buffer);
 
     editor.select(buffer.begin());