diff --git a/src/command.c b/src/command.c
index 7ffa300b1..8659ce3a4 100644
--- a/src/command.c
+++ b/src/command.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static cmdalias_t *com_alias; // aliases list
 // =========================================================================
 
 static vsbuf_t com_text; // variable sized buffer
+static com_flags_t com_flags = 0;
 
 /** Purges control characters out of some text.
   *
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ COM_Purge (char *s, int *np)
   * \param ptext The text to add.
   * \sa COM_BufInsertTextEx
   */
-void COM_BufAddTextEx(const char *ptext, int flags)
+void COM_BufAddTextEx(const char *ptext, com_flags_t flags)
 {
 	int l;
 	char *text;
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ void COM_BufAddTextEx(const char *ptext, int flags)
   * \param ptext The text to execute. A newline is automatically added.
   * \sa COM_BufAddTextEx
   */
-void COM_BufInsertTextEx(const char *ptext, int flags)
+void COM_BufInsertTextEx(const char *ptext, com_flags_t flags)
 {
 	const INT32 old_wait = com_wait;
 
@@ -320,7 +321,6 @@ static size_t com_argc;
 static char *com_argv[MAX_ARGS];
 static const char *com_null_string = "";
 static char *com_args = NULL; // current command args or NULL
-static int com_flags;
 
 static void Got_NetVar(UINT8 **p, INT32 playernum);
 
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ void VS_Write(vsbuf_t *buf, const void *data, size_t length)
 	M_Memcpy(VS_GetSpace(buf, length), data, length);
 }
 
-void VS_WriteEx(vsbuf_t *buf, const void *data, size_t length, int flags)
+void VS_WriteEx(vsbuf_t *buf, const void *data, size_t length, com_flags_t flags)
 {
 	char *p;
 	p = VS_GetSpace(buf, 2 + length);
@@ -2472,7 +2472,7 @@ void CV_SaveVariables(FILE *f)
 static boolean CV_Immutable(const consvar_t *var)
 {
 	// Currently operating from Lua
-	if (com_flags & COM_SAFE)
+	if (com_flags & COM_LUA)
 	{
 		if (!(var->flags & CV_ALLOWLUA))
 		{
diff --git a/src/command.h b/src/command.h
index 48827f99f..ea5d525a7 100644
--- a/src/command.h
+++ b/src/command.h
@@ -20,19 +20,17 @@
 // Command buffer & command execution
 //===================================
 
-/* Lua command registration flags. */
-enum
+/* Command registration flags. */
+typedef enum
 {
 	COM_ADMIN       = 1,
 	COM_SPLITSCREEN = 2,
 	COM_LOCAL       = 4,
-};
 
-/* Command buffer flags. */
-enum
-{
-	COM_SAFE = 1,
-};
+	// COM_BufInsertText etc: can only access cvars
+	// with CV_ALLOWLUA set.
+	COM_LUA         = 8,
+} com_flags_t;
 
 typedef void (*com_func_t)(void);
 
@@ -53,11 +51,11 @@ const char *COM_CompleteAlias(const char *partial, INT32 skips);
 
 // insert at queu (at end of other command)
 #define COM_BufAddText(s) COM_BufAddTextEx(s, 0)
-void COM_BufAddTextEx(const char *btext, int flags);
+void COM_BufAddTextEx(const char *btext, com_flags_t flags);
 
 // insert in head (before other command)
 #define COM_BufInsertText(s) COM_BufInsertTextEx(s, 0)
-void COM_BufInsertTextEx(const char *btext, int flags);
+void COM_BufInsertTextEx(const char *btext, com_flags_t flags);
 
 // don't bother inserting, just do immediately
 void COM_ImmedExecute(const char *ptext);
@@ -89,7 +87,7 @@ void VS_Free(vsbuf_t *buf);
 void VS_Clear(vsbuf_t *buf);
 void *VS_GetSpace(vsbuf_t *buf, size_t length);
 void VS_Write(vsbuf_t *buf, const void *data, size_t length);
-void VS_WriteEx(vsbuf_t *buf, const void *data, size_t length, int flags);
+void VS_WriteEx(vsbuf_t *buf, const void *data, size_t length, com_flags_t flags);
 void VS_Print(vsbuf_t *buf, const char *data); // strcats onto the sizebuf
 
 //==================
diff --git a/src/lua_consolelib.c b/src/lua_consolelib.c
index f5e98e920..43dde280d 100644
--- a/src/lua_consolelib.c
+++ b/src/lua_consolelib.c
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ static int lib_comBufAddText(lua_State *L)
 		plr = *((player_t **)luaL_checkudata(L, 1, META_PLAYER));
 	if (plr && plr != &players[consoleplayer])
 		return 0;
-	COM_BufAddTextEx(va("%s\n", luaL_checkstring(L, 2)), COM_SAFE);
+	COM_BufAddTextEx(va("%s\n", luaL_checkstring(L, 2)), COM_LUA);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ static int lib_comBufInsertText(lua_State *L)
 		plr = *((player_t **)luaL_checkudata(L, 1, META_PLAYER));
 	if (plr && plr != &players[consoleplayer])
 		return 0;
-	COM_BufInsertTextEx(va("%s\n", luaL_checkstring(L, 2)), COM_SAFE);
+	COM_BufInsertTextEx(va("%s\n", luaL_checkstring(L, 2)), COM_LUA);
 	return 0;
 }