diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-core.h b/drivers/md/dm-core.h
index 4081cb6cf7b34..4277853c75351 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-core.h
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-core.h
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ struct dm_table {
 #define DM_TIO_MAGIC 28714
 struct dm_target_io {
 	unsigned short magic;
-	unsigned short flags;
+	blk_short_t flags;
 	unsigned int target_bio_nr;
 	struct dm_io *io;
 	struct dm_target *ti;
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ static inline void dm_tio_set_flag(struct dm_target_io *tio, unsigned int bit)
 #define DM_IO_MAGIC 19577
 struct dm_io {
 	unsigned short magic;
-	unsigned short flags;
+	blk_short_t flags;
 	atomic_t io_count;
 	struct mapped_device *md;
 	struct bio *orig_bio;
diff --git a/include/linux/blk_types.h b/include/linux/blk_types.h
index dd0763a1c6740..1973ef9bd40fc 100644
--- a/include/linux/blk_types.h
+++ b/include/linux/blk_types.h
@@ -85,8 +85,10 @@ struct block_device {
  */
 #if defined(CONFIG_ALPHA) && !defined(__alpha_bwx__)
 typedef u32 __bitwise blk_status_t;
+typedef u32 blk_short_t;
 #else
 typedef u8 __bitwise blk_status_t;
+typedef u16 blk_short_t;
 #endif
 #define	BLK_STS_OK 0
 #define BLK_STS_NOTSUPP		((__force blk_status_t)1)