diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_scan.h b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_scan.h
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_scan.h
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_scan.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@
 #define	IEEE80211_SCAN_ONCE	0x0010		/* do one complete pass */
 #define	IEEE80211_SCAN_NOBCAST	0x0020		/* no broadcast probe req */
 #define	IEEE80211_SCAN_NOJOIN	0x0040		/* no auto-sequencing */
+#define	IEEE80211_SCAN_PUBLIC_MASK	0x0fff	/* top 4 bits for internal use */
 #define	IEEE80211_SCAN_GOTPICK	0x1000		/* got candidate, can stop */
 	uint8_t		ss_nssid;		/* # ssid's to probe/match */
 	struct ieee80211_scan_ssid ss_ssid[IEEE80211_SCAN_MAX_SSID];
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_scan_sw.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_scan_sw.c
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_scan_sw.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_scan_sw.c
@@ -196,8 +196,7 @@
 			if ((flags & IEEE80211_SCAN_NOSSID) == 0)
 				ieee80211_scan_copy_ssid(vap, ss, nssid, ssids);
 
-			/* NB: top 4 bits for internal use */
-			ss->ss_flags = flags & 0xfff;
+			ss->ss_flags = flags & IEEE80211_SCAN_PUBLIC_MASK;
 			if (ss->ss_flags & IEEE80211_SCAN_ACTIVE)
 				vap->iv_stats.is_scan_active++;
 			else
@@ -307,7 +306,7 @@
 			ic->ic_flags |= IEEE80211_F_SCAN;
 
 			/* NB: need to use supplied flags in check */
-			ss->ss_flags = flags & 0xff;
+			ss->ss_flags = flags & IEEE80211_SCAN_PUBLIC_MASK;
 			result = ss->ss_ops->scan_end(ss, vap);
 
 			ic->ic_flags &= ~IEEE80211_F_SCAN;