diff --git a/docs/design/part-tracing.txt b/docs/design/part-tracing.txt
index df98f52e4b..2400a360a1 100644
--- a/docs/design/part-tracing.txt
+++ b/docs/design/part-tracing.txt
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ gst_structure_new ("thread-rusage.class",
         "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "average cpu usage per thread",
         // flags that help to use the right graph type
         // flags { aggregated, windowed, cumulative, ... }
-        "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "aggregated",
+        "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_AGGREGATED,
         // value range
         "min", G_TYPE_UINT, 0,
         "max", G_TYPE_UINT, 100,
diff --git a/gst/gsttracerrecord.h b/gst/gsttracerrecord.h
index 2ce3382a4a..9aef0a67b5 100644
--- a/gst/gsttracerrecord.h
+++ b/gst/gsttracerrecord.h
@@ -67,6 +67,23 @@ typedef enum
   GST_TRACER_VALUE_SCOPE_PAD
 } GstTracerValueScope;
 
+/**
+ * GstTracerValueFlags:
+ * @GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_NONE: no flags
+ * @GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_OPTIONAL: the value is optional
+ * @GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_AGGREGATED: the value is combined since the start of
+ *   tracing
+ *
+ * Flag that describe the value. These flags help applications processing the
+ * logs to understand the values.
+ */
+typedef enum
+{
+  GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_NONE = 0,
+  GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_OPTIONAL = (1 << 0),
+  GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_AGGREGATED = (1 << 1),
+} GstTracerValueFlags;
+
 #ifdef GST_USE_UNSTABLE_API
 
 GstTracerRecord * gst_tracer_record_new (GstStructure *spec);
diff --git a/plugins/tracers/gstlatency.c b/plugins/tracers/gstlatency.c
index bb22fec3ad..72ac1e5896 100644
--- a/plugins/tracers/gstlatency.c
+++ b/plugins/tracers/gstlatency.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ gst_latency_tracer_class_init (GstLatencyTracerClass * klass)
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT64,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING,
               "time it took for the buffer to go from src to sink ns",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "aggregated",  /* TODO: use gflags */
+          "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_AGGREGATED,
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_GUINT64_CONSTANT (0),
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_MAXUINT64,
           NULL),
diff --git a/plugins/tracers/gstrusage.c b/plugins/tracers/gstrusage.c
index d594363a0a..58f1b51ccc 100644
--- a/plugins/tracers/gstrusage.c
+++ b/plugins/tracers/gstrusage.c
@@ -296,21 +296,20 @@ gst_rusage_tracer_class_init (GstRUsageTracerClass * klass)
       "average-cpuload", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "average cpu usage per thread in ‰",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "aggregated",  /* TODO: use gflags */
+          "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_AGGREGATED,
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT, 0,
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT, 1000,
           NULL),
       "current-cpuload", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "current cpu usage per thread in ‰",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "windowed",  /* TODO: use gflags */
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT, 0,
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT, 1000,
           NULL),
       "time", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT64,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "time spent in thread in ns",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "aggregated",  /* TODO: use gflags */
+          "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_AGGREGATED,
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_GUINT64_CONSTANT (0),
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_MAXUINT64,
           NULL),
@@ -327,21 +326,20 @@ gst_rusage_tracer_class_init (GstRUsageTracerClass * klass)
       "average-cpuload", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "average cpu usage per process in ‰",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "aggregated",  /* TODO: use gflags */
+          "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_AGGREGATED,
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT, 0,
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT, 1000,
           NULL),
       "current-cpuload", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "current cpu usage per process in ‰",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "windowed",  /* TODO: use gflags */
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT, 0,
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT, 1000,
           NULL),
       "time", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT64,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "time spent in process in ns",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "aggregated",  /* TODO: use gflags */
+          "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_AGGREGATED,
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_GUINT64_CONSTANT (0),
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_MAXUINT64,
           NULL),
diff --git a/plugins/tracers/gststats.c b/plugins/tracers/gststats.c
index 0a51ca69ae..8ad2f15d30 100644
--- a/plugins/tracers/gststats.c
+++ b/plugins/tracers/gststats.c
@@ -544,21 +544,18 @@ gst_stats_tracer_class_init (GstStatsTracerClass * klass)
       "buffer-size", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "size of buffer in bytes",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "",  /* TODO: use gflags */
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT, 0,
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT, G_MAXUINT,
           NULL),
       "buffer-ts", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT64,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "timestamp of the buffer in ns",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "",  /* TODO: use gflags */
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_GUINT64_CONSTANT (0),
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_MAXUINT64,
           NULL),
       "buffer-duration", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT64,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "duration of the buffer in ns",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "",  /* TODO: use gflags */
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_GUINT64_CONSTANT (0),
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_MAXUINT64,
           NULL),
@@ -584,7 +581,6 @@ gst_stats_tracer_class_init (GstStatsTracerClass * klass)
       "name", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_STRING,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "name of the event",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "",  /* TODO: use gflags */
           NULL),
       NULL));
   tr_message = gst_tracer_record_new (gst_structure_new ("message.class",
@@ -603,7 +599,6 @@ gst_stats_tracer_class_init (GstStatsTracerClass * klass)
       "name", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_STRING,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "name of the message",
-          "flags", G_TYPE_STRING, "",  /* TODO: use gflags */
           NULL),
       "structure", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("structure",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE,