diff --git a/sys/net/pfvar.h b/sys/net/pfvar.h
--- a/sys/net/pfvar.h
+++ b/sys/net/pfvar.h
@@ -378,6 +378,7 @@
 	struct pf_rule_gid	 gid;
 
 	u_int32_t		 rule_flag;
+	uint32_t		 rule_ref;
 	u_int8_t		 action;
 	u_int8_t		 direction;
 	u_int8_t		 log;
diff --git a/sys/netpfil/pf/pf.c b/sys/netpfil/pf/pf.c
--- a/sys/netpfil/pf/pf.c
+++ b/sys/netpfil/pf/pf.c
@@ -1641,7 +1641,7 @@
 			pf_unlink_src_node(cur);
 			LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&freelist, cur, entry);
 		} else if (cur->rule.ptr != NULL)
-			cur->rule.ptr->rule_flag |= PFRULE_REFS;
+			cur->rule.ptr->rule_ref |= PFRULE_REFS;
 	    PF_HASHROW_UNLOCK(sh);
 	}
 
@@ -1783,11 +1783,11 @@
 					    pf_unlink_state(s, PF_ENTER_LOCKED);
 					goto relock;
 				}
-				s->rule.ptr->rule_flag |= PFRULE_REFS;
+				s->rule.ptr->rule_ref |= PFRULE_REFS;
 				if (s->nat_rule.ptr != NULL)
-					s->nat_rule.ptr->rule_flag |= PFRULE_REFS;
+					s->nat_rule.ptr->rule_ref |= PFRULE_REFS;
 				if (s->anchor.ptr != NULL)
-					s->anchor.ptr->rule_flag |= PFRULE_REFS;
+					s->anchor.ptr->rule_ref |= PFRULE_REFS;
 				s->kif->pfik_flags |= PFI_IFLAG_REFS;
 				if (s->rt_kif)
 					s->rt_kif->pfik_flags |= PFI_IFLAG_REFS;
@@ -1839,11 +1839,11 @@
 	TAILQ_INIT(&tmpq);
 	PF_UNLNKDRULES_LOCK();
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(r, &V_pf_unlinked_rules, entries, r1) {
-		if (!(r->rule_flag & PFRULE_REFS)) {
+		if (!(r->rule_ref & PFRULE_REFS)) {
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&V_pf_unlinked_rules, r, entries);
 			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&tmpq, r, entries);
 		} else
-			r->rule_flag &= ~PFRULE_REFS;
+			r->rule_ref &= ~PFRULE_REFS;
 	}
 	PF_UNLNKDRULES_UNLOCK();
 
diff --git a/sys/netpfil/pf/pf_ioctl.c b/sys/netpfil/pf/pf_ioctl.c
--- a/sys/netpfil/pf/pf_ioctl.c
+++ b/sys/netpfil/pf/pf_ioctl.c
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(rulequeue, rule, entries);
 
 	PF_UNLNKDRULES_LOCK();
-	rule->rule_flag |= PFRULE_REFS;
+	rule->rule_ref |= PFRULE_REFS;
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&V_pf_unlinked_rules, rule, entries);
 	PF_UNLNKDRULES_UNLOCK();
 }