diff --git a/cc3200/bootmgr/main.c b/cc3200/bootmgr/main.c
index 32210e6de9..ecf6de99b4 100644
--- a/cc3200/bootmgr/main.c
+++ b/cc3200/bootmgr/main.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ static void bootmgr_board_init(void) {
     mperror_init0();
 
     // clear the safe boot flag, since we can't trust its content after reset
-    PRCMClearSafeBootRequest();
+    PRCMClearSpecialBit(PRCM_SAFE_BOOT_BIT);
 }
 
 //*****************************************************************************
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ static void wait_for_safe_boot (sBootInfo_t *psBootInfo) {
         // turn off the system led
         MAP_GPIOPinWrite(MICROPY_SYS_LED_PORT, MICROPY_SYS_LED_PORT_PIN, 0);
         // request a safe boot to the application
-        PRCMRequestSafeBoot();
+        PRCMSetSpecialBit(PRCM_SAFE_BOOT_BIT);
     }
     // deinit the safe boot pin
     mperror_deinit_sfe_pin();
diff --git a/cc3200/hal/prcm.c b/cc3200/hal/prcm.c
index d48b3ce77e..773fc90fb0 100644
--- a/cc3200/hal/prcm.c
+++ b/cc3200/hal/prcm.c
@@ -129,11 +129,12 @@
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
 // Bit:  31 is used to indicate use of RTC. If set as '1', RTC feature is used.
-// Bit:  30 is used to indicate that a safe boot should be performed
-// bit:  29 is used to indicate that the last reset was caused by the WDT
-// Bits: 28 to 26 are unused
+// Bit:  30 is used to indicate that a safe boot should be performed.
+// bit:  29 is used to indicate that the last reset was caused by the WDT.
+// bit:  28 is used to indicate that the board is booting for the first time after being programmed in factory.
+// Bits: 27 and 26 are unused.
 // Bits: 25 to 16 are used to save millisecond part of RTC reference.
-// Bits: 15 to 0 are being used for HW Changes / ECO
+// Bits: 15 to 0 are being used for HW Changes / ECO.
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
 
@@ -254,94 +255,49 @@ static const PRCM_PeriphRegs_t PRCM_PeriphRegsList[] =
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
-//! Requests a safe boot
+//! Set a special bit
 //!
 //! \return None.
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-void PRCMRequestSafeBoot(void)
+void PRCMSetSpecialBit(unsigned char bit)
 {
     unsigned int uiRegValue;
 
-    uiRegValue = MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) | (1 << 30);
+    uiRegValue = MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) | (1 << bit);
 
     PRCMHIBRegWrite(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR, uiRegValue);
 }
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
-//! Clear the safe boot request
+//! Clear a special bit
 //!
 //! \return None.
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-void PRCMClearSafeBootRequest(void)
+void PRCMClearSpecialBit(unsigned char bit)
 {
     unsigned int uiRegValue;
 
-    uiRegValue = MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) & (~(1 << 30));
+    uiRegValue = MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) & (~(1 << bit));
 
     PRCMHIBRegWrite(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR, uiRegValue);
 }
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
-//! Read the safe boot request bit. This bit is cleared after reading.
+//! Read a special bit
 //!
-//! \return Value of the safe boot bit
+//! \return Value of the bit
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-tBoolean PRCMIsSafeBootRequested(void)
+tBoolean PRCMGetSpecialBit(unsigned char bit)
 {
-    tBoolean safeboot = (MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) & (1 << 30)) ? true : false;
-
-    PRCMClearSafeBootRequest();
-
-    return safeboot;
-}
-
-//*****************************************************************************
-//
-//! Signals that a WDT reset has occurred
-//!
-//! \return None.
-//
-//*****************************************************************************
-void PRCMSignalWDTReset(void)
-{
-    unsigned int uiRegValue;
-
-    uiRegValue = MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) | (1 << 29);
-
-    PRCMHIBRegWrite(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR, uiRegValue);
-}
-
-//*****************************************************************************
-//
-//! Clear the WDT reset signal
-//!
-//! \return None.
-//
-//*****************************************************************************
-void PRCMClearWDTResetSignal(void)
-{
-    unsigned int uiRegValue;
-
-    uiRegValue = MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) & (~(1 << 29));
-
-    PRCMHIBRegWrite(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR, uiRegValue);
-}
-
-//*****************************************************************************
-//
-//! Read the WDT reset signal bit
-//!
-//! \return Value of the WDT reset signal bit
-//
-//*****************************************************************************
-tBoolean PRCMWasResetBecauseOfWDT(void)
-{
-    return (MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) & (1 << 29)) ? true : false;
+    tBoolean value = (MAP_PRCMHIBRegRead(RTC_MSEC_U32_REG_ADDR) & (1 << bit)) ? true : false;
+    // special bits must be cleared immediatelly after reading
+    PRCMClearSpecialBit(bit);
+    return value;
 }
 
 //*****************************************************************************
diff --git a/cc3200/hal/prcm.h b/cc3200/hal/prcm.h
index a00bf9d774..110d8326ea 100644
--- a/cc3200/hal/prcm.h
+++ b/cc3200/hal/prcm.h
@@ -192,17 +192,21 @@ unsigned char ulRstReg;
 // PRCM_ADC should never be used in any user code. 
 #define PRCM_ADC                  0x000000FF 
 
+//*****************************************************************************
+// User bits in the PRCM persistent registers
+//*****************************************************************************
+#define PRCM_SAFE_BOOT_BIT              30
+#define PRCM_WDT_RESET_BIT              29
+#define PRCM_FIRST_BOOT_BIT             28
+
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
 // API Function prototypes
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-extern void PRCMRequestSafeBoot(void);
-extern void PRCMClearSafeBootRequest(void);
-extern tBoolean PRCMIsSafeBootRequested(void);
-extern void PRCMSignalWDTReset(void);
-extern void PRCMClearWDTResetSignal(void);
-extern tBoolean PRCMWasResetBecauseOfWDT(void);
+extern void PRCMSetSpecialBit(unsigned char bit);
+extern void PRCMClearSpecialBit(unsigned char bit);
+extern tBoolean PRCMGetSpecialBit(unsigned char bit);
 extern void PRCMSOCReset(void);
 extern void PRCMMCUReset(tBoolean bIncludeSubsystem);
 extern unsigned long PRCMSysResetCauseGet(void);
diff --git a/cc3200/misc/mperror.c b/cc3200/misc/mperror.c
index cf2a1c8c1e..d1e9f46fb5 100644
--- a/cc3200/misc/mperror.c
+++ b/cc3200/misc/mperror.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ void mperror_bootloader_check_reset_cause (void) {
 
         // since the reset cause will be changed, we must store the right reason
         // so that the application knows it when booting for the next time
-        PRCMSignalWDTReset();
+        PRCMSetSpecialBit(PRCM_WDT_RESET_BIT);
 
         MAP_PRCMHibernateWakeupSourceEnable(PRCM_HIB_SLOW_CLK_CTR);
         // set the sleep interval to 10ms
diff --git a/cc3200/mods/pybsleep.c b/cc3200/mods/pybsleep.c
index f810f91403..112f1a24f4 100644
--- a/cc3200/mods/pybsleep.c
+++ b/cc3200/mods/pybsleep.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ void pybsleep_init0 (void) {
             pybsleep_reset_cause = PYB_SLP_WDT_RESET;
             break;
         case PRCM_HIB_EXIT:
-            if (PRCMWasResetBecauseOfWDT()) {
+            if (PRCMGetSpecialBit(PRCM_WDT_RESET_BIT)) {
                 pybsleep_reset_cause = PYB_SLP_WDT_RESET;
             }
             else {
diff --git a/cc3200/mptask.c b/cc3200/mptask.c
index f14200ac37..6d66c90742 100644
--- a/cc3200/mptask.c
+++ b/cc3200/mptask.c
@@ -105,7 +105,10 @@ void TASK_Micropython (void *pvParameters) {
     // initialize the garbage collector with the top of our stack
     uint32_t sp = gc_helper_get_sp();
     gc_collect_init (sp);
-    bool safeboot = false;
+
+#ifndef DEBUG
+    bool safeboot = PRCMGetSpecialBit(PRCM_SAFE_BOOT_BIT);
+#endif
 
     mptask_pre_init();
 
@@ -161,9 +164,6 @@ soft_reset:
         else {
             // only if not comming out of hibernate or a soft reset
             mptask_enter_ap_mode();
-        #ifndef DEBUG
-            safeboot = PRCMIsSafeBootRequested();
-        #endif
         }
 
         // enable telnet and ftp