diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.cpp b/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.cpp
index b4056d7139..db0c86a750 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.cpp
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ void AP_Scripting::thread(void) {
                 GCS_SEND_TEXT(MAV_SEVERITY_CRITICAL, "Scripting: %s", "restarted");
                 break;
             }
-            if ((_debug_options.get() & uint8_t(lua_scripts::DebugLevel::NO_SCRIPTS_TO_RUN)) != 0) {
+            if (option_is_set(DebugOption::NO_SCRIPTS_TO_RUN)) {
                 GCS_SEND_TEXT(MAV_SEVERITY_DEBUG, "Scripting: %s", "stopped");
             }
         }
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ void AP_Scripting::handle_mission_command(const AP_Mission::Mission_Command& cmd
 
 bool AP_Scripting::arming_checks(size_t buflen, char *buffer) const
 {
-    if (!enabled() || ((_debug_options.get() & uint8_t(lua_scripts::DebugLevel::DISABLE_PRE_ARM)) != 0)) {
+    if (!enabled() || option_is_set(DebugOption::DISABLE_PRE_ARM)) {
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -518,9 +518,7 @@ void AP_Scripting::update() {
 // Check if DEBUG_OPTS bit has been set to save current checksum values to params
 void AP_Scripting::save_checksum() {
 
-    const uint8_t opts = _debug_options.get();
-    const uint8_t save_bit = uint8_t(lua_scripts::DebugLevel::SAVE_CHECKSUM);
-    if ((opts & save_bit) == 0) {
+    if (!option_is_set(DebugOption::SAVE_CHECKSUM)) {
         // Bit not set, nothing to do
         return;
     }
@@ -530,7 +528,7 @@ void AP_Scripting::save_checksum() {
     _required_running_checksum.set_and_save(lua_scripts::get_running_checksum() & checksum_param_mask);
 
     // Un-set debug option bit
-    _debug_options.set_and_save(opts & ~save_bit);
+    option_clear(DebugOption::SAVE_CHECKSUM);
 
     GCS_SEND_TEXT(MAV_SEVERITY_ERROR, "Scripting: %s", "saved checksums");
 
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h b/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h
index 367354227d..26729b6769 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h
@@ -152,6 +152,15 @@ public:
         AP_Scripting_SerialDevice _serialdevice;
     #endif
 
+    enum class DebugOption : uint8_t {
+        NO_SCRIPTS_TO_RUN = 1U << 0,
+        RUNTIME_MSG = 1U << 1,
+        SUPPRESS_SCRIPT_LOG = 1U << 2,
+        LOG_RUNTIME = 1U << 3,
+        DISABLE_PRE_ARM = 1U << 4,
+        SAVE_CHECKSUM = 1U << 5,
+    };
+
 private:
 
     void thread(void); // main script execution thread
@@ -185,6 +194,14 @@ private:
 
     AP_Enum<ThreadPriority> _thd_priority;
 
+    bool option_is_set(DebugOption option) const {
+        return (uint8_t(_debug_options.get()) & uint8_t(option)) != 0;
+    }
+
+    void option_clear(DebugOption option) {
+        _debug_options.set_and_save(_debug_options.get() & ~uint8_t(option));
+    }
+
     bool _thread_failed; // thread allocation failed
     bool _init_failed;  // true if memory allocation failed
     bool _restart; // true if scripts should be restarted
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_scripts.cpp b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_scripts.cpp
index 03c9492113..1a6da1bd72 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_scripts.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_scripts.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ uint32_t lua_scripts::loaded_checksum;
 uint32_t lua_scripts::running_checksum;
 HAL_Semaphore lua_scripts::crc_sem;
 
-lua_scripts::lua_scripts(const AP_Int32 &vm_steps, const AP_Int32 &heap_size, const AP_Int8 &debug_options)
+lua_scripts::lua_scripts(const AP_Int32 &vm_steps, const AP_Int32 &heap_size, AP_Int8 &debug_options)
     : _vm_steps(vm_steps),
       _debug_options(debug_options)
 {
@@ -129,14 +129,14 @@ int lua_scripts::atpanic(lua_State *L) {
 // helper for print and log of runtime stats
 void lua_scripts::update_stats(const char *name, uint32_t run_time, int total_mem, int run_mem)
 {
-    if ((_debug_options.get() & uint8_t(DebugLevel::RUNTIME_MSG)) != 0) {
+    if (option_is_set(AP_Scripting::DebugOption::RUNTIME_MSG)) {
         GCS_SEND_TEXT(MAV_SEVERITY_DEBUG, "Lua: Time: %u Mem: %d + %d",
                                             (unsigned int)run_time,
                                             (int)total_mem,
                                             (int)run_mem);
     }
 #if HAL_LOGGING_ENABLED
-    if ((_debug_options.get() & uint8_t(DebugLevel::LOG_RUNTIME)) != 0) {
+    if (option_is_set(AP_Scripting::DebugOption::LOG_RUNTIME)) {
         struct log_Scripting pkt {
             LOG_PACKET_HEADER_INIT(LOG_SCRIPTING_MSG),
             time_us      : AP_HAL::micros64(),
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ void lua_scripts::load_all_scripts_in_dir(lua_State *L, const char *dirname) {
         reschedule_script(script);
 
 #if HAL_LOGGER_FILE_CONTENTS_ENABLED
-        if ((_debug_options.get() & uint8_t(DebugLevel::SUPPRESS_SCRIPT_LOG)) == 0) {
+        if (!option_is_set(AP_Scripting::DebugOption::SUPPRESS_SCRIPT_LOG)) {
             AP::logger().log_file_content(filename);
         }
 #endif
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ void lua_scripts::run(void) {
                 hal.scheduler->delay(scripts->next_run_ms - now_ms);
             }
 
-            if ((_debug_options.get() & uint8_t(DebugLevel::RUNTIME_MSG)) != 0) {
+            if (option_is_set(AP_Scripting::DebugOption::RUNTIME_MSG)) {
                 GCS_SEND_TEXT(MAV_SEVERITY_DEBUG, "Lua: Running %s", scripts->name);
             }
             // take a copy of the script name for the purposes of
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ void lua_scripts::run(void) {
             lua_gc(L, LUA_GCCOLLECT, 0);
 
         } else {
-            if ((_debug_options.get() & uint8_t(DebugLevel::NO_SCRIPTS_TO_RUN)) != 0) {
+            if (option_is_set(AP_Scripting::DebugOption::NO_SCRIPTS_TO_RUN)) {
                 GCS_SEND_TEXT(MAV_SEVERITY_DEBUG, "Lua: No scripts to run");
             }
             hal.scheduler->delay(1000);
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_scripts.h b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_scripts.h
index 437b8d2035..63d6acc8ad 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_scripts.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_scripts.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 class lua_scripts
 {
 public:
-    lua_scripts(const AP_Int32 &vm_steps, const AP_Int32 &heap_size, const AP_Int8 &debug_options);
+    lua_scripts(const AP_Int32 &vm_steps, const AP_Int32 &heap_size, AP_Int8 &debug_options);
 
     ~lua_scripts();
 
@@ -48,15 +48,6 @@ public:
 
     static bool overtime; // script exceeded it's execution slot, and we are bailing out
 
-    enum class DebugLevel {
-        NO_SCRIPTS_TO_RUN = 1U << 0,
-        RUNTIME_MSG = 1U << 1,
-        SUPPRESS_SCRIPT_LOG = 1U << 2,
-        LOG_RUNTIME = 1U << 3,
-        DISABLE_PRE_ARM = 1U << 4,
-        SAVE_CHECKSUM = 1U << 5,
-    };
-
 private:
 
     void create_sandbox(lua_State *L);
@@ -96,7 +87,11 @@ private:
     lua_State *lua_state;
 
     const AP_Int32 & _vm_steps;
-    const AP_Int8 & _debug_options;
+    AP_Int8 & _debug_options;
+
+    bool option_is_set(AP_Scripting::DebugOption option) const {
+        return (uint8_t(_debug_options.get()) & uint8_t(option)) != 0;
+    }
 
     static void *alloc(void *ud, void *ptr, size_t osize, size_t nsize);