diff --git a/include/exec/ram_addr.h b/include/exec/ram_addr.h
index a7e3378340..6d4513f8e2 100644
--- a/include/exec/ram_addr.h
+++ b/include/exec/ram_addr.h
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
 
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_ptr(ram_addr_t size, void *host,
                                   MemoryRegion *mr, Error **errp);
-RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc(ram_addr_t size, bool share, MemoryRegion *mr,
+RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc(ram_addr_t size, uint32_t ram_flags, MemoryRegion *mr,
                          Error **errp);
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_resizeable(ram_addr_t size, ram_addr_t max_size,
                                     void (*resized)(const char*,
diff --git a/softmmu/memory.c b/softmmu/memory.c
index 27b17a7c99..172527e89f 100644
--- a/softmmu/memory.c
+++ b/softmmu/memory.c
@@ -1546,7 +1546,7 @@ void memory_region_init_ram_flags_nomigrate(MemoryRegion *mr,
     mr->ram = true;
     mr->terminates = true;
     mr->destructor = memory_region_destructor_ram;
-    mr->ram_block = qemu_ram_alloc(size, ram_flags & RAM_SHARED, mr, &err);
+    mr->ram_block = qemu_ram_alloc(size, ram_flags, mr, &err);
     if (err) {
         mr->size = int128_zero();
         object_unparent(OBJECT(mr));
@@ -1702,7 +1702,7 @@ void memory_region_init_rom_device_nomigrate(MemoryRegion *mr,
     mr->terminates = true;
     mr->rom_device = true;
     mr->destructor = memory_region_destructor_ram;
-    mr->ram_block = qemu_ram_alloc(size, false,  mr, &err);
+    mr->ram_block = qemu_ram_alloc(size, 0, mr, &err);
     if (err) {
         mr->size = int128_zero();
         object_unparent(OBJECT(mr));
diff --git a/softmmu/physmem.c b/softmmu/physmem.c
index 98d41b0138..7fc3151fd2 100644
--- a/softmmu/physmem.c
+++ b/softmmu/physmem.c
@@ -2105,12 +2105,15 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_internal(ram_addr_t size, ram_addr_t max_size,
                                   void (*resized)(const char*,
                                                   uint64_t length,
                                                   void *host),
-                                  void *host, bool resizeable, bool share,
+                                  void *host, uint32_t ram_flags,
                                   MemoryRegion *mr, Error **errp)
 {
     RAMBlock *new_block;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
 
+    assert((ram_flags & ~(RAM_SHARED | RAM_RESIZEABLE | RAM_PREALLOC)) == 0);
+    assert(!host ^ (ram_flags & RAM_PREALLOC));
+
     size = HOST_PAGE_ALIGN(size);
     max_size = HOST_PAGE_ALIGN(max_size);
     new_block = g_malloc0(sizeof(*new_block));
@@ -2122,15 +2125,7 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_internal(ram_addr_t size, ram_addr_t max_size,
     new_block->fd = -1;
     new_block->page_size = qemu_real_host_page_size;
     new_block->host = host;
-    if (host) {
-        new_block->flags |= RAM_PREALLOC;
-    }
-    if (share) {
-        new_block->flags |= RAM_SHARED;
-    }
-    if (resizeable) {
-        new_block->flags |= RAM_RESIZEABLE;
-    }
+    new_block->flags = ram_flags;
     ram_block_add(new_block, &local_err);
     if (local_err) {
         g_free(new_block);
@@ -2143,15 +2138,15 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_internal(ram_addr_t size, ram_addr_t max_size,
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_ptr(ram_addr_t size, void *host,
                                    MemoryRegion *mr, Error **errp)
 {
-    return qemu_ram_alloc_internal(size, size, NULL, host, false,
-                                   false, mr, errp);
+    return qemu_ram_alloc_internal(size, size, NULL, host, RAM_PREALLOC, mr,
+                                   errp);
 }
 
-RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc(ram_addr_t size, bool share,
+RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc(ram_addr_t size, uint32_t ram_flags,
                          MemoryRegion *mr, Error **errp)
 {
-    return qemu_ram_alloc_internal(size, size, NULL, NULL, false,
-                                   share, mr, errp);
+    assert((ram_flags & ~RAM_SHARED) == 0);
+    return qemu_ram_alloc_internal(size, size, NULL, NULL, ram_flags, mr, errp);
 }
 
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_resizeable(ram_addr_t size, ram_addr_t maxsz,
@@ -2160,8 +2155,8 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_resizeable(ram_addr_t size, ram_addr_t maxsz,
                                                      void *host),
                                      MemoryRegion *mr, Error **errp)
 {
-    return qemu_ram_alloc_internal(size, maxsz, resized, NULL, true,
-                                   false, mr, errp);
+    return qemu_ram_alloc_internal(size, maxsz, resized, NULL,
+                                   RAM_RESIZEABLE, mr, errp);
 }
 
 static void reclaim_ramblock(RAMBlock *block)
