diff --git a/src/driver.h b/src/driver.h
index 042c4af902..447b7a2ef0 100644
--- a/src/driver.h
+++ b/src/driver.h
@@ -802,6 +802,22 @@ struct _virDeviceMonitor {
     virDrvNodeDeviceDestroy deviceDestroy;
 };
 
+/* bits 16 and above of virDomainXMLFlags are for internal use */
+#define VIR_DOMAIN_XML_FLAGS_MASK 0xffff
+
+/* Bits 16 and above of virSecretGetValue flags are for internal use */
+#define VIR_SECRET_GET_VALUE_FLAGS_MASK 0xffff
+
+enum {
+    /* This getValue call is inside libvirt, override the "private" flag.
+       This flag can not be set by outside callers. */
+    VIR_SECRET_GET_VALUE_INTERNAL_CALL = 1 << 16
+};
+
+/* Make sure ... INTERNAL_CALL can not be set by the caller */
+verify((VIR_SECRET_GET_VALUE_INTERNAL_CALL &
+        VIR_SECRET_GET_VALUE_FLAGS_MASK) == 0);
+
 typedef virSecretPtr
     (*virDrvSecretLookupByUUIDString)        (virConnectPtr conn,
                                               const char *uuid);
diff --git a/src/libvirt.c b/src/libvirt.c
index 45619e20e1..96d204c569 100644
--- a/src/libvirt.c
+++ b/src/libvirt.c
@@ -9066,6 +9066,8 @@ virSecretGetValue(virSecretPtr secret, size_t *value_size, unsigned int flags)
         goto error;
     }
 
+    flags &= VIR_SECRET_GET_VALUE_FLAGS_MASK;
+
     if (conn->secretDriver != NULL && conn->secretDriver->getValue != NULL) {
         unsigned char *ret;
 
diff --git a/src/libvirt_internal.h b/src/libvirt_internal.h
index 6976f34657..5913798737 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_internal.h
+++ b/src/libvirt_internal.h
@@ -24,9 +24,6 @@
 
 #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);
 int virStateCleanup(void);