diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_execbuffer.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_execbuffer.c
index 1978633e7549..1bb1f251eafc 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_execbuffer.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_execbuffer.c
@@ -34,10 +34,11 @@
 #include <linux/dma_remapping.h>
 #include <linux/uaccess.h>
 
-#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_HAS_PIN (1<<31)
-#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_HAS_FENCE (1<<30)
-#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_MAP (1<<29)
-#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_BIAS (1<<28)
+#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_HAS_PIN		(1<<31)
+#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_HAS_FENCE	(1<<30)
+#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_MAP	(1<<29)
+#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_BIAS	(1<<28)
+#define  __EXEC_OBJECT_INTERNAL_FLAGS (0xf<<28) /* all of the above */
 
 #define BATCH_OFFSET_BIAS (256*1024)
 
@@ -1007,6 +1008,9 @@ validate_exec_list(struct drm_device *dev,
 	unsigned invalid_flags;
 	int i;
 
+	/* INTERNAL flags must not overlap with external ones */
+	BUILD_BUG_ON(__EXEC_OBJECT_INTERNAL_FLAGS & ~__EXEC_OBJECT_UNKNOWN_FLAGS);
+
 	invalid_flags = __EXEC_OBJECT_UNKNOWN_FLAGS;
 	if (USES_FULL_PPGTT(dev))
 		invalid_flags |= EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_GTT;
diff --git a/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h b/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
index d7e81a3886fd..51b9360bb376 100644
--- a/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
+++ b/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
@@ -698,12 +698,13 @@ struct drm_i915_gem_exec_object2 {
 	 */
 	__u64 offset;
 
-#define EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_FENCE (1<<0)
-#define EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_GTT	(1<<1)
-#define EXEC_OBJECT_WRITE	(1<<2)
+#define EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_FENCE		 (1<<0)
+#define EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_GTT		 (1<<1)
+#define EXEC_OBJECT_WRITE		 (1<<2)
 #define EXEC_OBJECT_SUPPORTS_48B_ADDRESS (1<<3)
-#define EXEC_OBJECT_PINNED	(1<<4)
-#define __EXEC_OBJECT_UNKNOWN_FLAGS -(EXEC_OBJECT_PINNED<<1)
+#define EXEC_OBJECT_PINNED		 (1<<4)
+/* All remaining bits are MBZ and RESERVED FOR FUTURE USE */
+#define __EXEC_OBJECT_UNKNOWN_FLAGS	(-(EXEC_OBJECT_PINNED<<1))
 	__u64 flags;
 
 	__u64 rsvd1;