diff --git a/include/linux/sched/ext.h b/include/linux/sched/ext.h
index dc646cca4fcf..1ddbde64a31b 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched/ext.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched/ext.h
@@ -119,9 +119,17 @@ enum scx_kf_mask {
 	__SCX_KF_TERMINAL	= SCX_KF_ENQUEUE | SCX_KF_SELECT_CPU | SCX_KF_REST,
 };
 
+enum scx_dsq_lnode_flags {
+	SCX_DSQ_LNODE_ITER_CURSOR = 1 << 0,
+
+	/* high 16 bits can be for iter cursor flags */
+	__SCX_DSQ_LNODE_PRIV_SHIFT = 16,
+};
+
 struct scx_dsq_list_node {
 	struct list_head	node;
-	bool			is_bpf_iter_cursor;
+	u32			flags;
+	u32			priv;		/* can be used by iter cursor */
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext.c
index cfb413285882..44a2d1b9e837 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext.c
@@ -1191,7 +1191,7 @@ static struct task_struct *nldsq_next_task(struct scx_dispatch_q *dsq,
 
 		dsq_lnode = container_of(list_node, struct scx_dsq_list_node,
 					 node);
-	} while (dsq_lnode->is_bpf_iter_cursor);
+	} while (dsq_lnode->flags & SCX_DSQ_LNODE_ITER_CURSOR);
 
 	return container_of(dsq_lnode, struct task_struct, scx.dsq_list);
 }
@@ -1209,16 +1209,15 @@ static struct task_struct *nldsq_next_task(struct scx_dispatch_q *dsq,
  */
 enum scx_dsq_iter_flags {
 	/* iterate in the reverse dispatch order */
-	SCX_DSQ_ITER_REV		= 1U << 0,
+	SCX_DSQ_ITER_REV		= 1U << 16,
 
-	__SCX_DSQ_ITER_ALL_FLAGS	= SCX_DSQ_ITER_REV,
+	__SCX_DSQ_ITER_USER_FLAGS	= SCX_DSQ_ITER_REV,
+	__SCX_DSQ_ITER_ALL_FLAGS	= __SCX_DSQ_ITER_USER_FLAGS,
 };
 
 struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq_kern {
 	struct scx_dsq_list_node	cursor;
 	struct scx_dispatch_q		*dsq;
-	u32				dsq_seq;
-	u32				flags;
 } __attribute__((aligned(8)));
 
 struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq {
@@ -1256,6 +1255,9 @@ static void scx_task_iter_init(struct scx_task_iter *iter)
 {
 	lockdep_assert_held(&scx_tasks_lock);
 
+	BUILD_BUG_ON(__SCX_DSQ_ITER_ALL_FLAGS &
+		     ((1U << __SCX_DSQ_LNODE_PRIV_SHIFT) - 1));
+
 	iter->cursor = (struct sched_ext_entity){ .flags = SCX_TASK_CURSOR };
 	list_add(&iter->cursor.tasks_node, &scx_tasks);
 	iter->locked = NULL;
@@ -6285,7 +6287,7 @@ __bpf_kfunc int bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new(struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq *it, u64 dsq_id,
 	BUILD_BUG_ON(__alignof__(struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq_kern) !=
 		     __alignof__(struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq));
 
-	if (flags & ~__SCX_DSQ_ITER_ALL_FLAGS)
+	if (flags & ~__SCX_DSQ_ITER_USER_FLAGS)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	kit->dsq = find_non_local_dsq(dsq_id);
@@ -6293,9 +6295,8 @@ __bpf_kfunc int bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new(struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq *it, u64 dsq_id,
 		return -ENOENT;
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&kit->cursor.node);
-	kit->cursor.is_bpf_iter_cursor = true;
-	kit->dsq_seq = READ_ONCE(kit->dsq->seq);
-	kit->flags = flags;
+	kit->cursor.flags |= SCX_DSQ_LNODE_ITER_CURSOR | flags;
+	kit->cursor.priv = READ_ONCE(kit->dsq->seq);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -6309,7 +6310,7 @@ __bpf_kfunc int bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new(struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq *it, u64 dsq_id,
 __bpf_kfunc struct task_struct *bpf_iter_scx_dsq_next(struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq *it)
 {
 	struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq_kern *kit = (void *)it;
-	bool rev = kit->flags & SCX_DSQ_ITER_REV;
+	bool rev = kit->cursor.flags & SCX_DSQ_ITER_REV;
 	struct task_struct *p;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
@@ -6330,7 +6331,7 @@ __bpf_kfunc struct task_struct *bpf_iter_scx_dsq_next(struct bpf_iter_scx_dsq *i
 	 */
 	do {
 		p = nldsq_next_task(kit->dsq, p, rev);
-	} while (p && unlikely(u32_before(kit->dsq_seq, p->scx.dsq_seq)));
+	} while (p && unlikely(u32_before(kit->cursor.priv, p->scx.dsq_seq)));
 
 	if (p) {
 		if (rev)