diff --git a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
index 054721012c..9f97a9efac 100644
--- a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * snapshot_conf.c: domain snapshot XML processing
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2006-2014 Red Hat, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 2006-2019 Red Hat, Inc.
  * Copyright (C) 2006-2008 Daniel P. Berrange
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
@@ -652,6 +652,22 @@ virDomainSnapshotAlignDisks(virDomainSnapshotDefPtr def,
     return ret;
 }
 
+
+/* Converts public VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_XML_* into
+ * VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_* flags, and silently ignores any other
+ * flags. */
+unsigned int
+virDomainSnapshotFormatConvertXMLFlags(unsigned int flags)
+{
+    unsigned int formatFlags = 0;
+
+    if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_XML_SECURE)
+        formatFlags |= VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_SECURE;
+
+    return formatFlags;
+}
+
+
 static int
 virDomainSnapshotDiskDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
                                virDomainSnapshotDiskDefPtr disk,
@@ -692,15 +708,17 @@ virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(const char *uuidstr,
                            virDomainSnapshotDefPtr def,
                            virCapsPtr caps,
                            virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
-                           unsigned int flags,
-                           int internal)
+                           unsigned int flags)
 {
     virBuffer buf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
     size_t i;
+    int domainflags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_FORMAT_INACTIVE;
 
-    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_FORMAT_SECURE, NULL);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_SECURE |
+                  VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_INTERNAL, NULL);
 
-    flags |= VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_FORMAT_INACTIVE;
+    if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_SECURE)
+        domainflags |= VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_FORMAT_SECURE;
 
     virBufferAddLit(&buf, "<domainsnapshot>\n");
     virBufferAdjustIndent(&buf, 2);
@@ -742,7 +760,8 @@ virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(const char *uuidstr,
     }
 
     if (def->dom) {
-        if (virDomainDefFormatInternal(def->dom, caps, flags, &buf, xmlopt) < 0)
+        if (virDomainDefFormatInternal(def->dom, caps, domainflags, &buf,
+                                       xmlopt) < 0)
             goto error;
     } else if (uuidstr) {
         virBufferAddLit(&buf, "<domain>\n");
@@ -756,7 +775,7 @@ virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(const char *uuidstr,
                                virDomainXMLOptionGetSaveCookie(xmlopt)) < 0)
         goto error;
 
-    if (internal)
+    if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_INTERNAL)
         virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "<active>%d</active>\n", def->current);
 
     virBufferAdjustIndent(&buf, -2);
diff --git a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.h b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.h
index 5f2cda8848..3577f76543 100644
--- a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.h
@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@ typedef enum {
     VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_OFFLINE  = 1 << 3,
 } virDomainSnapshotParseFlags;
 
+typedef enum {
+    VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_SECURE   = 1 << 0,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_INTERNAL = 1 << 1,
+} virDomainSnapshotFormatFlags;
+
+unsigned int virDomainSnapshotFormatConvertXMLFlags(unsigned int flags);
+
 virDomainSnapshotDefPtr virDomainSnapshotDefParseString(const char *xmlStr,
                                                         virCapsPtr caps,
                                                         virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
@@ -130,8 +137,7 @@ char *virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(const char *uuidstr,
                                  virDomainSnapshotDefPtr def,
                                  virCapsPtr caps,
                                  virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
-                                 unsigned int flags,
-                                 int internal);
+                                 unsigned int flags);
 int virDomainSnapshotAlignDisks(virDomainSnapshotDefPtr snapshot,
                                 int default_snapshot,
                                 bool require_match);
diff --git a/src/esx/esx_driver.c b/src/esx/esx_driver.c
index afebd78566..c6d112268f 100644
--- a/src/esx/esx_driver.c
+++ b/src/esx/esx_driver.c
@@ -4204,7 +4204,6 @@ esxDomainSnapshotGetXMLDesc(virDomainSnapshotPtr snapshot,
     virUUIDFormat(snapshot->domain->uuid, uuid_string);
 
     xml = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(uuid_string, &def, priv->caps, priv->xmlopt,
-                                     virDomainDefFormatConvertXMLFlags(flags),
                                      0);
 
  cleanup:
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index d2a240fc7a..b5d65c99c9 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -891,6 +891,7 @@ virDomainSnapshotFindByName;
 virDomainSnapshotForEach;
 virDomainSnapshotForEachChild;
 virDomainSnapshotForEachDescendant;
+virDomainSnapshotFormatConvertXMLFlags;
 virDomainSnapshotIsExternal;
 virDomainSnapshotLocationTypeFromString;
 virDomainSnapshotLocationTypeToString;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 3756ff309a..0cfb52971e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -8410,8 +8410,7 @@ qemuDomainSnapshotWriteMetadata(virDomainObjPtr vm,
     virUUIDFormat(vm->def->uuid, uuidstr);
     newxml = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(
         uuidstr, snapshot->def, caps, xmlopt,
-        virDomainDefFormatConvertXMLFlags(QEMU_DOMAIN_FORMAT_LIVE_FLAGS),
-        1);
+        VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_SECURE | VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_INTERNAL);
     if (newxml == NULL)
         return -1;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index bde3f9b8df..205e544d92 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -16266,8 +16266,7 @@ qemuDomainSnapshotGetXMLDesc(virDomainSnapshotPtr snapshot,
 
     xml = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(uuidstr, snap->def,
                                      driver->caps, driver->xmlopt,
-                                     virDomainDefFormatConvertXMLFlags(flags),
-                                     0);
+                                     virDomainSnapshotFormatConvertXMLFlags(flags));
 
  cleanup:
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 490a423b96..ef754658f3 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -6209,8 +6209,7 @@ testDomainSnapshotGetXMLDesc(virDomainSnapshotPtr snapshot,
 
     xml = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(uuidstr, snap->def, privconn->caps,
                                      privconn->xmlopt,
-                                     virDomainDefFormatConvertXMLFlags(flags),
-                                     0);
+                                     virDomainSnapshotFormatConvertXMLFlags(flags));
 
  cleanup:
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
diff --git a/src/vbox/vbox_common.c b/src/vbox/vbox_common.c
index f8ae23bafb..c410514d37 100644
--- a/src/vbox/vbox_common.c
+++ b/src/vbox/vbox_common.c
@@ -5375,7 +5375,10 @@ vboxSnapshotRedefine(virDomainPtr dom,
         VIR_FREE(currentSnapshotXmlFilePath);
         if (virAsprintf(&currentSnapshotXmlFilePath, "%s%s.xml", machineLocationPath, snapshotMachineDesc->currentSnapshot) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
-        char *snapshotContent = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(NULL, def, data->caps, data->xmlopt, VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_FORMAT_SECURE, 0);
+        char *snapshotContent = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(NULL, def,
+                                                           data->caps,
+                                                           data->xmlopt,
+                                                           VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_SECURE);
         if (snapshotContent == NULL) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                            _("Unable to get snapshot content"));
@@ -6322,9 +6325,7 @@ static char *vboxDomainSnapshotGetXMLDesc(virDomainSnapshotPtr snapshot,
 
     virUUIDFormat(dom->uuid, uuidstr);
     memcpy(def->dom->uuid, dom->uuid, VIR_UUID_BUFLEN);
-    ret = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(uuidstr, def, data->caps, data->xmlopt,
-                                      virDomainDefFormatConvertXMLFlags(flags),
-                                      0);
+    ret = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(uuidstr, def, data->caps, data->xmlopt, 0);
 
  cleanup:
     virDomainSnapshotDefFree(def);
diff --git a/src/vz/vz_driver.c b/src/vz/vz_driver.c
index 2d2eaf88a6..066d617524 100644
--- a/src/vz/vz_driver.c
+++ b/src/vz/vz_driver.c
@@ -2291,8 +2291,7 @@ vzDomainSnapshotGetXMLDesc(virDomainSnapshotPtr snapshot, unsigned int flags)
 
     xml = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(uuidstr, snap->def, privconn->driver->caps,
                                      privconn->driver->xmlopt,
-                                     virDomainDefFormatConvertXMLFlags(flags),
-                                     0);
+                                     virDomainSnapshotFormatConvertXMLFlags(flags));
 
  cleanup:
     virDomainSnapshotObjListFree(snapshots);
diff --git a/tests/domainsnapshotxml2xmltest.c b/tests/domainsnapshotxml2xmltest.c
index 2a07fe0789..9eb71780fc 100644
--- a/tests/domainsnapshotxml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/domainsnapshotxml2xmltest.c
@@ -78,13 +78,16 @@ testCompareXMLToXMLFiles(const char *inxml,
     char *actual = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
     virDomainSnapshotDefPtr def = NULL;
-    unsigned int flags = VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_DISKS;
+    unsigned int parseflags = VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_DISKS;
+    unsigned int formatflags = VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_SECURE;
 
-    if (internal)
-        flags |= VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_INTERNAL;
+    if (internal) {
+        parseflags |= VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_INTERNAL;
+        formatflags |= VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_FORMAT_INTERNAL;
+    }
 
     if (redefine)
-        flags |= VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_REDEFINE;
+        parseflags |= VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_REDEFINE;
 
     if (virTestLoadFile(inxml, &inXmlData) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
@@ -94,13 +97,12 @@ testCompareXMLToXMLFiles(const char *inxml,
 
     if (!(def = virDomainSnapshotDefParseString(inXmlData, driver.caps,
                                                 driver.xmlopt,
-                                                flags)))
+                                                parseflags)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!(actual = virDomainSnapshotDefFormat(uuid, def, driver.caps,
                                               driver.xmlopt,
-                                              VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_FORMAT_SECURE,
-                                              internal)))
+                                              formatflags)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!redefine) {