-#define EVMETHOD_AUTO 0 /* consults environment */
-#define EVMETHOD_SELECT 1
-#define EVMETHOD_POLL 2
-#define EVMETHOD_EPOLL 4
-#define EVMETHOD_KQUEUE 8
-#define EVMETHOD_DEVPOLL 16 /* NYI */
-#define EVMETHOD_PORT 32 /* NYI */
-#define EVMETHOD_WIN32 64 /* NYI */
-#define EVMETHOD_ANY ~0 /* any method, do not consult env */
+/* bits for ev_default_loop and ev_loop_new */
+/* the default */
+#define EVMETHOD_AUTO 0x00000000 /* not quite a mask */
+
+/* method bits to be ored together */
+#define EVMETHOD_SELECT 0x00000001 /* about anywhere */
+#define EVMETHOD_POLL 0x00000002 /* !win */
+#define EVMETHOD_EPOLL 0x00000004 /* linux */
+#define EVMETHOD_KQUEUE 0x00000008 /* bsd */
+#define EVMETHOD_DEVPOLL 0x00000010 /* solaris 8 */ /* NYI */
+#define EVMETHOD_PORT 0x00000020 /* solaris 10 */ /* NYI */
+
+/* flag bits */
+#define EVMETHOD_NOENV 0x01000000 /* do NOT consult environment */