diff --git a/block/nbd-client.h b/block/nbd-client.h
index fa9817b..044aca4 100644
--- a/block/nbd-client.h
+++ b/block/nbd-client.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 typedef struct NbdClientSession {
     QIOChannelSocket *sioc; /* The master data channel */
     QIOChannel *ioc; /* The current I/O channel which may differ (eg TLS) */
-    uint32_t nbdflags;
+    uint16_t nbdflags;
     off_t size;

     CoMutex send_mutex;
diff --git a/include/block/nbd.h b/include/block/nbd.h
index 309db2b..fd7e30b 100644
--- a/include/block/nbd.h
+++ b/include/block/nbd.h
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@ ssize_t nbd_wr_syncv(QIOChannel *ioc,
                      size_t niov,
                      size_t length,
                      bool do_read);
-int nbd_receive_negotiate(QIOChannel *ioc, const char *name, uint32_t *flags,
+int nbd_receive_negotiate(QIOChannel *ioc, const char *name, uint16_t *flags,
                           QCryptoTLSCreds *tlscreds, const char *hostname,
                           QIOChannel **outioc,
                           off_t *size, Error **errp);
-int nbd_init(int fd, QIOChannelSocket *sioc, uint32_t flags, off_t size);
+int nbd_init(int fd, QIOChannelSocket *sioc, uint16_t flags, off_t size);
 ssize_t nbd_send_request(QIOChannel *ioc, struct nbd_request *request);
 ssize_t nbd_receive_reply(QIOChannel *ioc, struct nbd_reply *reply);
 int nbd_client(int fd);
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ typedef struct NBDExport NBDExport;
 typedef struct NBDClient NBDClient;

 NBDExport *nbd_export_new(BlockBackend *blk, off_t dev_offset, off_t size,
-                          uint32_t nbdflags, void (*close)(NBDExport *),
+                          uint16_t nbdflags, void (*close)(NBDExport *),
                           Error **errp);
 void nbd_export_close(NBDExport *exp);
 void nbd_export_get(NBDExport *exp);
diff --git a/nbd/client.c b/nbd/client.c
index 78a7195..a92f1e2 100644
--- a/nbd/client.c
+++ b/nbd/client.c
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ static QIOChannel *nbd_receive_starttls(QIOChannel *ioc,
 }


-int nbd_receive_negotiate(QIOChannel *ioc, const char *name, uint32_t *flags,
+int nbd_receive_negotiate(QIOChannel *ioc, const char *name, uint16_t *flags,
                           QCryptoTLSCreds *tlscreds, const char *hostname,
                           QIOChannel **outioc,
                           off_t *size, Error **errp)
@@ -468,7 +468,6 @@ int nbd_receive_negotiate(QIOChannel *ioc, const char *name, uint32_t *flags,
         uint32_t opt;
         uint32_t namesize;
         uint16_t globalflags;
-        uint16_t exportflags;
         bool fixedNewStyle = false;

         if (read_sync(ioc, &globalflags, sizeof(globalflags)) !=
@@ -477,7 +476,6 @@ int nbd_receive_negotiate(QIOChannel *ioc, const char *name, uint32_t *flags,
             goto fail;
         }
         globalflags = be16_to_cpu(globalflags);
-        *flags = globalflags << 16;
         TRACE("Global flags are %" PRIx32, globalflags);
         if (globalflags & NBD_FLAG_FIXED_NEWSTYLE) {
             fixedNewStyle = true;
@@ -545,17 +543,15 @@ int nbd_receive_negotiate(QIOChannel *ioc, const char *name, uint32_t *flags,
             goto fail;
         }
         *size = be64_to_cpu(s);
-        TRACE("Size is %" PRIu64, *size);

-        if (read_sync(ioc, &exportflags, sizeof(exportflags)) !=
-            sizeof(exportflags)) {
+        if (read_sync(ioc, flags, sizeof(*flags)) != sizeof(*flags)) {
             error_setg(errp, "Failed to read export flags");
             goto fail;
         }
-        exportflags = be16_to_cpu(exportflags);
-        *flags |= exportflags;
-        TRACE("Export flags are %" PRIx16, exportflags);
+        be16_to_cpus(flags);
     } else if (magic == NBD_CLIENT_MAGIC) {
+        uint32_t oldflags;
+
         if (name) {
             error_setg(errp, "Server does not support export names");
             goto fail;
@@ -572,16 +568,22 @@ int nbd_receive_negotiate(QIOChannel *ioc, const char *name, uint32_t *flags,
         *size = be64_to_cpu(s);
         TRACE("Size is %" PRIu64, *size);

-        if (read_sync(ioc, flags, sizeof(*flags)) != sizeof(*flags)) {
+        if (read_sync(ioc, &oldflags, sizeof(oldflags)) != sizeof(oldflags)) {
             error_setg(errp, "Failed to read export flags");
             goto fail;
         }
-        *flags = be32_to_cpu(*flags);
+        be32_to_cpus(&oldflags);
+        if (oldflags & ~0xffff) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Unexpected export flags %0x" PRIx32, oldflags);
+            goto fail;
+        }
+        *flags = oldflags;
     } else {
         error_setg(errp, "Bad magic received");
         goto fail;
     }

+    TRACE("Size is %" PRIu64 ", export flags %" PRIx16, *size, *flags);
     if (read_sync(ioc, &buf, 124) != 124) {
         error_setg(errp, "Failed to read reserved block");
         goto fail;
@@ -593,7 +595,7 @@ fail:
 }

 #ifdef __linux__
-int nbd_init(int fd, QIOChannelSocket *sioc, uint32_t flags, off_t size)
+int nbd_init(int fd, QIOChannelSocket *sioc, uint16_t flags, off_t size)
 {
     unsigned long sectors = size / BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE;
     if (size / BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE != sectors) {
@@ -689,7 +691,7 @@ int nbd_disconnect(int fd)
 }

 #else
-int nbd_init(int fd, QIOChannelSocket *ioc, uint32_t flags, off_t size)
+int nbd_init(int fd, QIOChannelSocket *ioc, uint16_t flags, off_t size)
 {
     return -ENOTSUP;
 }
diff --git a/nbd/server.c b/nbd/server.c
index b875d08..20c1b77 100644
--- a/nbd/server.c
+++ b/nbd/server.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ struct NBDExport {
     char *description;
     off_t dev_offset;
     off_t size;
-    uint32_t nbdflags;
+    uint16_t nbdflags;
     QTAILQ_HEAD(, NBDClient) clients;
     QTAILQ_ENTRY(NBDExport) next;

@@ -554,8 +554,8 @@ static coroutine_fn int nbd_negotiate(NBDClientNewData *data)
     NBDClient *client = data->client;
     char buf[8 + 8 + 8 + 128];
     int rc;
-    const int myflags = (NBD_FLAG_HAS_FLAGS | NBD_FLAG_SEND_TRIM |
-                         NBD_FLAG_SEND_FLUSH | NBD_FLAG_SEND_FUA);
+    const uint16_t myflags = (NBD_FLAG_HAS_FLAGS | NBD_FLAG_SEND_TRIM |
+                              NBD_FLAG_SEND_FLUSH | NBD_FLAG_SEND_FUA);
     bool oldStyle;

     /* Old style negotiation header without options
@@ -585,7 +585,6 @@ static coroutine_fn int nbd_negotiate(NBDClientNewData *data)

     oldStyle = client->exp != NULL && !client->tlscreds;
     if (oldStyle) {
-        assert ((client->exp->nbdflags & ~65535) == 0);
         TRACE("advertising size %" PRIu64 " and flags %x",
               client->exp->size, client->exp->nbdflags | myflags);
         stq_be_p(buf + 8, NBD_CLIENT_MAGIC);
@@ -616,7 +615,6 @@ static coroutine_fn int nbd_negotiate(NBDClientNewData *data)
             goto fail;
         }

-        assert ((client->exp->nbdflags & ~65535) == 0);
         TRACE("advertising size %" PRIu64 " and flags %x",
               client->exp->size, client->exp->nbdflags | myflags);
         stq_be_p(buf + 18, client->exp->size);
@@ -820,7 +818,7 @@ static void nbd_eject_notifier(Notifier *n, void *data)
 }

 NBDExport *nbd_export_new(BlockBackend *blk, off_t dev_offset, off_t size,
-                          uint32_t nbdflags, void (*close)(NBDExport *),
+                          uint16_t nbdflags, void (*close)(NBDExport *),
                           Error **errp)
 {
     NBDExport *exp = g_malloc0(sizeof(NBDExport));
diff --git a/qemu-nbd.c b/qemu-nbd.c
index c229ead..dac3edc 100644
--- a/qemu-nbd.c
+++ b/qemu-nbd.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ static void *nbd_client_thread(void *arg)
 {
     char *device = arg;
     off_t size;
-    uint32_t nbdflags;
+    uint16_t nbdflags;
     QIOChannelSocket *sioc;
     int fd;
     int ret;
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     BlockBackend *blk;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
     off_t dev_offset = 0;
-    uint32_t nbdflags = 0;
+    uint16_t nbdflags = 0;
     bool disconnect = false;
     const char *bindto = "0.0.0.0";
     const char *port = NULL;
