diff --git a/src/target/target.c b/src/target/target.c
index d7283324ff..bb773f6a5c 100644
--- a/src/target/target.c
+++ b/src/target/target.c
@@ -5450,13 +5450,13 @@ static int target_configure(struct jim_getopt_info *goi, struct target *target)
 				e = jim_getopt_wide(goi, &w);
 				if (e != JIM_OK)
 					return e;
-				/* make this exactly 1 or 0 */
-				target->backup_working_area = (!!w);
+				/* make this boolean */
+				target->backup_working_area = (w != 0);
 			} else {
 				if (goi->argc != 0)
 					goto no_params;
 			}
-			Jim_SetResult(goi->interp, Jim_NewIntObj(goi->interp, target->backup_working_area));
+			Jim_SetResult(goi->interp, Jim_NewIntObj(goi->interp, target->backup_working_area ? 1 : 0));
 			/* loop for more e*/
 			break;
 
@@ -6181,7 +6181,7 @@ static int target_create(struct jim_getopt_info *goi)
 	target->working_area        = 0x0;
 	target->working_area_size   = 0x0;
 	target->working_areas       = NULL;
-	target->backup_working_area = 0;
+	target->backup_working_area = false;
 
 	target->state               = TARGET_UNKNOWN;
 	target->debug_reason        = DBG_REASON_UNDEFINED;
diff --git a/src/target/target.h b/src/target/target.h
index 28a2008074..6caf598874 100644
--- a/src/target/target.h
+++ b/src/target/target.h
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ struct target {
 	bool working_area_phys_spec;		/* physical address specified? */
 	target_addr_t working_area_phys;			/* physical address */
 	uint32_t working_area_size;			/* size in bytes */
-	uint32_t backup_working_area;		/* whether the content of the working area has to be preserved */
+	bool backup_working_area;			/* whether the content of the working area has to be preserved */
 	struct working_area *working_areas;/* list of allocated working areas */
 	enum target_debug_reason debug_reason;/* reason why the target entered debug state */
 	enum target_endianness endianness;	/* target endianness */