diff --git a/api.c b/api.c
index 1569a598..03ceec34 100644
--- a/api.c
+++ b/api.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ static int service_unblock(svc_t *svc)
 
 static int service_restart(svc_t *svc)
 {
-	svc->dirty = 1;
+	svc_mark_dirty(svc);
 	service_step(svc);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/service.c b/service.c
index 7c4dba90..ebac78a9 100644
--- a/service.c
+++ b/service.c
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ restart:
 				break;
 			}
 
-			svc->dirty = 0;
+			svc_mark_clean(svc);
 
 			switch (svc->type) {
 			case SVC_TYPE_SERVICE:
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ restart:
 				service_stop(svc);
 				*state = SVC_STOPPING_STATE;
 			}
-			svc->dirty = 0;
+			svc_mark_clean(svc);
 		}
 
 		break;
diff --git a/svc.c b/svc.c
index bf33393d..42589985 100644
--- a/svc.c
+++ b/svc.c
@@ -352,17 +352,27 @@ void svc_mark_dynamic(void)
 	svc_t *svc = svc_dynamic_iterator(1);
 
 	while (svc) {
-		svc->dirty = -1;
+		*((int *)&svc->dirty) = -1;
 		svc = svc_dynamic_iterator(0);
 	}
 }
 
+void svc_mark_dirty(svc_t *svc)
+{
+	*((int *)&svc->dirty) = 1;
+}
+
+void svc_mark_clean(svc_t *svc)
+{
+	*((int *)&svc->dirty) = 0;
+}
+
 void svc_check_dirty(svc_t *svc, time_t mtime)
 {
 	if (svc->mtime != mtime)
-		svc->dirty = 1;
+		svc_mark_dirty(svc);
 	else
-		svc->dirty = 0;
+		svc_mark_clean(svc);
 	svc->mtime = mtime;
 }
 
@@ -381,7 +391,6 @@ void svc_clean_dynamic(void (*cb)(svc_t *))
 		if (svc->dirty == -1 && cb)
 			cb(svc);
 
-		svc->dirty = 0;
 		svc = svc_dynamic_iterator(0);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/svc.h b/svc.h
index be45c255..b951abc2 100644
--- a/svc.h
+++ b/svc.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ typedef struct svc {
 	const svc_state_t    state;	       /* Paused, Reloading, Restart, Running, ... */
 	svc_type_t     type;
 	time_t	       mtime;	       /* Modification time for .conf from /etc/finit.d/ */
-	int            dirty;	       /* Set if old mtime != new mtime  => reloaded,
+	const int      dirty;	       /* Set if old mtime != new mtime  => reloaded,
 					* or -1 when marked for removal */
 	int	       runlevels;
 	int            sighup;	       /* This service supports SIGHUP :) */
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ void	  svc_foreach_dynamic  (void (*cb)(svc_t *));
 
 void	  svc_mark_dynamic     (void);
 void	  svc_check_dirty      (svc_t *svc, time_t mtime);
+void	  svc_mark_dirty       (svc_t *svc);
+void	  svc_mark_clean       (svc_t *svc);
 void	  svc_clean_dynamic    (void (*cb)(svc_t *));
 int	  svc_clean_bootstrap  (svc_t *svc);