diff --git a/packages/core/src/flags.ts b/packages/core/src/flags.ts
index 3322e09fb..787ca66a4 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/flags.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/flags.ts
@@ -2,21 +2,23 @@
 export const enum VNodeFlags {
   ELEMENT_HTML = 1,
   ELEMENT_SVG = 1 << 1,
-  ELEMENT = ELEMENT_HTML | ELEMENT_SVG,
 
   COMPONENT_UNKNOWN = 1 << 2,
   COMPONENT_STATEFUL_NORMAL = 1 << 3,
   COMPONENT_STATEFUL_SHOULD_KEEP_ALIVE = 1 << 4,
   COMPONENT_STATEFUL_KEPT_ALIVE = 1 << 5,
-  COMPONENT_STATEFUL = COMPONENT_STATEFUL_NORMAL |
-    COMPONENT_STATEFUL_SHOULD_KEEP_ALIVE |
-    COMPONENT_STATEFUL_KEPT_ALIVE,
   COMPONENT_FUNCTIONAL = 1 << 6,
-  COMPONENT = COMPONENT_UNKNOWN | COMPONENT_STATEFUL | COMPONENT_FUNCTIONAL,
 
   TEXT = 1 << 7,
   FRAGMENT = 1 << 8,
-  PORTAL = 1 << 9
+  PORTAL = 1 << 9,
+
+  // masks (only use for bitwise checks, do not use equal checks or assign)
+  ELEMENT = ELEMENT_HTML | ELEMENT_SVG,
+  COMPONENT_STATEFUL = COMPONENT_STATEFUL_NORMAL |
+    COMPONENT_STATEFUL_SHOULD_KEEP_ALIVE |
+    COMPONENT_STATEFUL_KEPT_ALIVE,
+  COMPONENT = COMPONENT_UNKNOWN | COMPONENT_STATEFUL | COMPONENT_FUNCTIONAL
 }
 
 export const enum ChildrenFlags {
@@ -27,6 +29,8 @@ export const enum ChildrenFlags {
   NONE_KEYED_VNODES = 1 << 3,
   STABLE_SLOTS = 1 << 4,
   DYNAMIC_SLOTS = 1 << 5,
+
+  // masks
   HAS_SLOTS = STABLE_SLOTS | DYNAMIC_SLOTS,
   MULTIPLE_VNODES = KEYED_VNODES | NONE_KEYED_VNODES
 }