diff --git a/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c b/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
index 33b0f61796..1e399aef4b 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
@@ -2047,17 +2047,12 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_build(VipsObject *object)
 	 */
 	if (dz->direct) {
 		VipsImage *z;
-		gboolean coding[VIPS_CODING_LAST];
-
-		for (int i = 0; i < VIPS_CODING_LAST; i++)
-			coding[i] = FALSE;
-		coding[VIPS_CODING_NONE] = TRUE;
 
 		if (vips__foreign_convert_saveable(save->ready, &z,
 			VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_MONO |
 				VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_RGB |
 				VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_CMYK,
-			bandfmt_dzsave, coding, save->background))
+			bandfmt_dzsave, VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_NONE, save->background))
 			return -1;
 
 		VIPS_UNREF(save->ready);
@@ -2325,7 +2320,7 @@ vips_foreign_save_dz_class_init(VipsForeignSaveDzClass *class)
 
 	save_class->saveable = VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_ANY;
 	save_class->format_table = bandfmt_dz;
-	save_class->coding[VIPS_CODING_LABQ] = TRUE;
+	save_class->coding |= VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_LABQ;
 
 	VIPS_ARG_STRING(class, "imagename", 2,
 		_("Image name"),
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/foreign.c b/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
index a8cba3f2ea..a7d90489ea 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
@@ -1526,7 +1526,7 @@ vips_foreign_apply_saveable(VipsImage *in, VipsImage **ready,
  */
 int
 vips__foreign_convert_saveable(VipsImage *in, VipsImage **ready,
-	VipsForeignSaveable saveable, VipsBandFormat *format, VipsCoding *coding,
+	VipsForeignSaveable saveable, VipsBandFormat *format, VipsForeignCoding coding,
 	VipsArrayDouble *background)
 {
 	VipsImage *out;
@@ -1536,13 +1536,14 @@ vips__foreign_convert_saveable(VipsImage *in, VipsImage **ready,
 	g_object_ref(in);
 
 	g_assert(format);
-	g_assert(coding);
 
 	/* For coded images, can this class save the coding we are in now?
 	 * Nothing to do.
 	 */
-	if (in->Coding != VIPS_CODING_NONE &&
-		coding[in->Coding]) {
+	if ((in->Coding == VIPS_CODING_LABQ &&
+			(coding & VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_LABQ)) ||
+		(in->Coding == VIPS_CODING_RAD &&
+			(coding & VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_RAD))) {
 		*ready = in;
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -1650,14 +1651,18 @@ vips__foreign_convert_saveable(VipsImage *in, VipsImage **ready,
 		in = out;
 	}
 
-	/* Does this class want a coded image? Search the coding table for the
-	 * first one.
+	/* Does this class want a coded image?
 	 */
-	if (coding[in->Coding]) {
+	if ((in->Coding == VIPS_CODING_NONE &&
+			(coding & VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_NONE)) ||
+		(in->Coding == VIPS_CODING_LABQ &&
+			(coding & VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_LABQ)) ||
+		(in->Coding == VIPS_CODING_RAD &&
+			(coding & VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_RAD))) {
 		/* Already there, nothing to do.
 		 */
 	}
-	else if (coding[VIPS_CODING_LABQ]) {
+	else if (coding & VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_LABQ) {
 		if (vips_Lab2LabQ(in, &out, NULL)) {
 			g_object_unref(in);
 			return -1;
@@ -1665,7 +1670,7 @@ vips__foreign_convert_saveable(VipsImage *in, VipsImage **ready,
 		g_object_unref(in);
 		in = out;
 	}
-	else if (coding[VIPS_CODING_RAD]) {
+	else if (coding & VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_RAD) {
 		if (vips_float2rad(in, &out, NULL)) {
 			g_object_unref(in);
 			return -1;
@@ -1673,7 +1678,7 @@ vips__foreign_convert_saveable(VipsImage *in, VipsImage **ready,
 		g_object_unref(in);
 		in = out;
 	}
-	else if (coding[VIPS_CODING_NONE]) {
+	else if (coding & VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_NONE) {
 		if (vips_image_decode(in, &out)) {
 			g_object_unref(in);
 			return -1;
@@ -1832,8 +1837,6 @@ vips_foreign_save_class_init(VipsForeignSaveClass *class)
 	VipsObjectClass *object_class = (VipsObjectClass *) class;
 	VipsOperationClass *operation_class = (VipsOperationClass *) class;
 
-	int i;
-
 	gobject_class->dispose = vips_foreign_save_dispose;
 	gobject_class->set_property = vips_object_set_property;
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
@@ -1856,9 +1859,7 @@ vips_foreign_save_class_init(VipsForeignSaveClass *class)
 
 	/* Default to no coding allowed.
 	 */
-	for (i = 0; i < VIPS_CODING_LAST; i++)
-		class->coding[i] = FALSE;
-	class->coding[VIPS_CODING_NONE] = TRUE;
+	class->coding = VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_NONE;
 
 	/* Default to no cast on save.
 	 */
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/radsave.c b/libvips/foreign/radsave.c
index 13e405cb83..abaf826c36 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/radsave.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/radsave.c
@@ -96,8 +96,7 @@ vips_foreign_save_rad_class_init(VipsForeignSaveRadClass *class)
 	save_class->saveable =
 		VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_MONO | VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_RGB;
 	save_class->format_table = vips_foreign_save_rad_format_table;
-	save_class->coding[VIPS_CODING_NONE] = FALSE;
-	save_class->coding[VIPS_CODING_RAD] = TRUE;
+	save_class->coding = VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_RAD;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c b/libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c
index 02dae191ec..58c92da466 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/tiffsave.c
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ vips_foreign_save_tiff_class_init(VipsForeignSaveTiffClass *class)
 	foreign_class->suffs = vips__foreign_tiff_suffs;
 
 	save_class->saveable = VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_ANY;
-	save_class->coding[VIPS_CODING_LABQ] = TRUE;
+	save_class->coding |= VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_LABQ;
 
 	VIPS_ARG_ENUM(class, "compression", 6,
 		_("Compression"),
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/vipssave.c b/libvips/foreign/vipssave.c
index 6c496b8d0b..45d1a02ea4 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/vipssave.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/vipssave.c
@@ -128,8 +128,6 @@ extern const char *vips__suffs[];
 static void
 vips_foreign_save_vips_class_init(VipsForeignSaveVipsClass *class)
 {
-	int i;
-
 	GObjectClass *gobject_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS(class);
 	VipsObjectClass *object_class = (VipsObjectClass *) class;
 	VipsForeignClass *foreign_class = (VipsForeignClass *) class;
@@ -144,8 +142,7 @@ vips_foreign_save_vips_class_init(VipsForeignSaveVipsClass *class)
 	foreign_class->suffs = vips__suffs;
 
 	save_class->saveable = VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_ANY;
-	for (i = 0; i < VIPS_CODING_LAST; i++)
-		save_class->coding[i] = TRUE;
+	save_class->coding = VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_ALL;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h b/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
index 5ce1019077..4a7ebbe2f2 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
@@ -333,6 +333,28 @@ typedef enum /*< flags >*/ {
 		VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVEABLE_ALPHA)
 } VipsForeignSaveable;
 
+/**
+ * VipsForeignCoding:
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_NONE: saver supports [enum@Vips.Coding.NONE]
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_LABQ: saver supports [enum@Vips.Coding.LABQ]
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_RAD: saver supports [enum@Vips.Coding.RAD]
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_ALL: saver supports all coding types
+ *
+ * The set of coding types supported by a saver.
+ *
+ * ::: seealso
+ *     [enum@Coding].
+ */
+typedef enum /*< flags >*/ {
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_NONE = 1 << 0,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_LABQ = 1 << 1,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_RAD = 1 << 2,
+
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_ALL = (VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_NONE |
+		VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_LABQ |
+		VIPS_FOREIGN_CODING_RAD)
+} VipsForeignCoding;
+
 /**
  * VipsForeignKeep:
  * @VIPS_FOREIGN_KEEP_NONE: don't attach metadata
@@ -357,7 +379,7 @@ typedef enum /*< flags >*/ {
 		VIPS_FOREIGN_KEEP_XMP |
 		VIPS_FOREIGN_KEEP_IPTC |
 		VIPS_FOREIGN_KEEP_ICC |
-		VIPS_FOREIGN_KEEP_OTHER),
+		VIPS_FOREIGN_KEEP_OTHER)
 } VipsForeignKeep;
 
 typedef struct _VipsForeignSave {
@@ -408,7 +430,7 @@ typedef struct _VipsForeignSaveClass {
 	 *
 	 * @saveable describes the image types that your saver can handle. For
 	 * example, PPM images can have 1 or 3 bands (mono or RGB), so it
-	 * uses VIPS_SAVEABLE_FLAGS_MONO | VIPS_SAVEABLE_FLAGS_RGB.
+	 * uses [flags@Vips.ForeignSaveable.MONO] | [flags@Vips.ForeignSaveable.RGB].
 	 */
 	VipsForeignSaveable saveable;
 
@@ -420,12 +442,13 @@ typedef struct _VipsForeignSaveClass {
 	 */
 	VipsBandFormat *format_table;
 
-	/* The set of coding types this format can save. For example, jpeg can
-	 * only save NONE, so has NONE TRUE and RAD and LABQ FALSE.
+	/* The set of coding types this format can save. For example,
+	 * [method@Image.vipssave] can save all coding types, so it
+	 * uses [flags@Vips.ForeignCoding.ALL]
 	 *
-	 * Default NONE TRUE, RAD and LABQ FALSE.
+	 * Default to [flags@Vips.ForeignCoding.NONE].
 	 */
-	gboolean coding[VIPS_CODING_LAST];
+	VipsForeignCoding coding;
 } VipsForeignSaveClass;
 
 VIPS_API
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/internal.h b/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
index 8a583961ca..b0adc0b398 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ typedef struct _VipsImagePixels {
 } VipsImagePixels;
 
 int vips__foreign_convert_saveable(VipsImage *in, VipsImage **ready,
-	VipsForeignSaveable saveable, VipsBandFormat *format, VipsCoding *coding,
+	VipsForeignSaveable saveable, VipsBandFormat *format, VipsForeignCoding coding,
 	VipsArrayDouble *background);
 
 int vips_foreign_load(const char *filename, VipsImage **out, ...)