diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
index 4dfc4013b0..3f419c5ac5 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
@@ -829,10 +829,11 @@ fn (mut g Gen) stmt(node ast.Stmt) {
 		}
 		ast.EnumDecl {
 			enum_name := util.no_dots(node.name)
+			is_flag := node.is_flag
 			g.enum_typedefs.writeln('typedef enum {')
 			mut cur_enum_expr := ''
 			mut cur_enum_offset := 0
-			for field in node.fields {
+			for i, field in node.fields {
 				g.enum_typedefs.write('\t${enum_name}_$field.name')
 				if field.has_expr {
 					g.enum_typedefs.write(' = ')
@@ -843,6 +844,11 @@ fn (mut g Gen) stmt(node ast.Stmt) {
 					g.enum_typedefs.write(expr_str)
 					cur_enum_expr = expr_str
 					cur_enum_offset = 0
+				} else if is_flag {
+					g.enum_typedefs.write(' = ')
+					cur_enum_expr = '1 << $i'
+					g.enum_typedefs.write((1 << i).str())
+					cur_enum_offset = 0
 				}
 				cur_value := if cur_enum_offset > 0 { '$cur_enum_expr+$cur_enum_offset' } else { cur_enum_expr }
 				g.enum_typedefs.writeln(', // $cur_value')
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index 67ddfaa4f0..c05f8a7ba9 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -1869,13 +1869,19 @@ fn (mut p Parser) enum_decl() ast.EnumDecl {
 		if fields.len > 32 {
 			p.error('when an enum is used as bit field, it must have a max of 32 fields')
 		}
+		for f in fields {
+			if f.has_expr {
+				p.error_with_pos('when an enum is used as a bit field, you can not assign custom values',
+					f.pos)
+			}
+		}
 		pubfn := if p.mod == 'main' { 'fn' } else { 'pub fn' }
 		p.scanner.codegen('
 //
-$pubfn (    e &$enum_name) has(flag $enum_name) bool { return      (int(*e) &  (1 << int(flag))) != 0 }
-$pubfn (mut e  $enum_name) set(flag $enum_name)      { unsafe{ *e = int(*e) |  (1 << int(flag)) } }
-$pubfn (mut e  $enum_name) clear(flag $enum_name)    { unsafe{ *e = int(*e) & ~(1 << int(flag)) } }
-$pubfn (mut e  $enum_name) toggle(flag $enum_name)   { unsafe{ *e = int(*e) ^  (1 << int(flag)) } }
+$pubfn (    e &$enum_name) has(flag $enum_name) bool { return      (int(*e) &  (int(flag))) != 0 }
+$pubfn (mut e  $enum_name) set(flag $enum_name)      { unsafe{ *e = int(*e) |  (int(flag)) } }
+$pubfn (mut e  $enum_name) clear(flag $enum_name)    { unsafe{ *e = int(*e) & ~(int(flag)) } }
+$pubfn (mut e  $enum_name) toggle(flag $enum_name)   { unsafe{ *e = int(*e) ^  (int(flag)) } }
 //
 ')
 	}
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/enum_bitfield_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/enum_bitfield_test.v
index cf07b9a306..34af9c5298 100644
--- a/vlib/v/tests/enum_bitfield_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/enum_bitfield_test.v
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ mut:
 
 fn test_enum_bitfield() {
 	mut a := BfFile{}
+	assert 1 == int(BfPermission.read)
+	assert 2 == int(BfPermission.write)
+	assert 4 == int(BfPermission.execute)
+	assert 8 == int(BfPermission.other)
 	a.perm.set(.read)
 	a.perm.set(.write)
 	a.perm.toggle(.execute)
@@ -22,11 +26,20 @@ fn test_enum_bitfield() {
 	assert a.perm.has(.execute)
 	assert !a.perm.has(.write)
 	assert !a.perm.has(.other)
-	mut b := BfPermission.read	// TODO:  this does nothing currenty just sets the type
+	mut b := BfPermission.read | BfPermission.execute
+	assert int(b) == 1 + 0 + 4 + 0
+	assert b.has(.read)
+	assert b.has(.execute)
 	b.set(.write)
+	assert int(b) == 1 + 2 + 4 + 0
 	b.set(.other)
+	assert int(b) == 1 + 2 + 4 + 8
 	assert b.has(.write)
 	assert b.has(.other)
+	b.toggle(.read)
+	assert int(b) == 0 + 2 + 4 + 8
+	b.toggle(.execute)
+	assert int(b) == 0 + 2 + 0 + 8
 	assert !b.has(.read)
 	assert !b.has(.execute)
 }