diff --git a/src/domain_conf.c b/src/domain_conf.c
index f3e4c6c39c..10e6ac6183 100644
--- a/src/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/domain_conf.c
@@ -2896,7 +2896,8 @@ static virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjParseXML(virConnectPtr conn,
 
     oldnode = ctxt->node;
     ctxt->node = config;
-    obj->def = virDomainDefParseXML(conn, caps, ctxt, 0);
+    obj->def = virDomainDefParseXML(conn, caps, ctxt,
+                                    VIR_DOMAIN_XML_INTERNAL_STATUS);
     ctxt->node = oldnode;
     if (!obj->def)
         goto error;
@@ -4277,12 +4278,11 @@ int virDomainSaveStatus(virConnectPtr conn,
                         const char *statusDir,
                         virDomainObjPtr obj)
 {
+    int flags = VIR_DOMAIN_XML_SECURE|VIR_DOMAIN_XML_INTERNAL_STATUS;
     int ret = -1;
     char *xml;
 
-    if (!(xml = virDomainObjFormat(conn,
-                                   obj,
-                                   VIR_DOMAIN_XML_SECURE)))
+    if (!(xml = virDomainObjFormat(conn, obj, flags)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virDomainSaveXML(conn, statusDir, obj->def, xml))
diff --git a/src/domain_conf.h b/src/domain_conf.h
index 6e111fa24e..69b665f49f 100644
--- a/src/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/domain_conf.h
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "threads.h"
 
+/* Private component of virDomainXMLFlags */
+typedef enum {
+   VIR_DOMAIN_XML_INTERNAL_STATUS = (1<<16), /* dump internal domain status information */
+} virDomainXMLInternalFlags;
+
 /* Different types of hypervisor */
 /* NB: Keep in sync with virDomainVirtTypeToString impl */
 enum virDomainVirtType {
diff --git a/src/libvirt.c b/src/libvirt.c
index 8ee7741a5f..7463c06f5c 100644
--- a/src/libvirt.c
+++ b/src/libvirt.c
@@ -2726,6 +2726,8 @@ virDomainGetXMLDesc(virDomainPtr domain, int flags)
         goto error;
     }
 
+    flags &= VIR_DOMAIN_XML_FLAGS_MASK;
+
     if (conn->driver->domainDumpXML) {
         char *ret;
         ret = conn->driver->domainDumpXML (domain, flags);
diff --git a/src/libvirt_internal.h b/src/libvirt_internal.h
index 8800eb904d..6976f34657 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_internal.h
+++ b/src/libvirt_internal.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 
 #include "internal.h"
 
+/* bits 16 and above of virDomainXMLFlags are for internal use */
+#define VIR_DOMAIN_XML_FLAGS_MASK 0xffff
 
 #ifdef WITH_LIBVIRTD
 int virStateInitialize(int privileged);