diff --git a/res/res_monitor.c b/res/res_monitor.c
index b5225010e2de14b34241109e4c530c4c5e2dfe08..2eafcb23854948aa7f28291f31e42fdc7a92722e 100644
--- a/res/res_monitor.c
+++ b/res/res_monitor.c
@@ -639,7 +639,20 @@ int AST_OPTIONAL_API_NAME(ast_monitor_change_fname)(struct ast_channel *chan, co
 	return 0;
 }
 
- 
+enum {
+	MON_FLAG_BRIDGED =  (1 << 0),
+	MON_FLAG_MIX =      (1 << 1),
+	MON_FLAG_DROP_IN =  (1 << 2),
+	MON_FLAG_DROP_OUT = (1 << 3),
+};
+
+AST_APP_OPTIONS(monitor_opts, {
+	AST_APP_OPTION('b', MON_FLAG_BRIDGED),
+	AST_APP_OPTION('m', MON_FLAG_MIX),
+	AST_APP_OPTION('i', MON_FLAG_DROP_IN),
+	AST_APP_OPTION('o', MON_FLAG_DROP_OUT),
+});
+
 /*!
  * \brief Start monitor
  * \param chan
@@ -656,9 +669,9 @@ static int start_monitor_exec(struct ast_channel *chan, const char *data)
 	char tmp[256];
 	int stream_action = X_REC_IN | X_REC_OUT;
 	int joinfiles = 0;
-	int waitforbridge = 0;
 	int res = 0;
 	char *parse;
+	struct ast_flags flags = { 0 };
 	AST_DECLARE_APP_ARGS(args,
 		AST_APP_ARG(format);
 		AST_APP_ARG(fname_base);
@@ -675,14 +688,17 @@ static int start_monitor_exec(struct ast_channel *chan, const char *data)
 	AST_STANDARD_APP_ARGS(args, parse);
 
 	if (!ast_strlen_zero(args.options)) {
-		if (strchr(args.options, 'm'))
+		ast_app_parse_options(monitor_opts, &flags, NULL, args.options);
+
+		if (ast_test_flag(&flags, MON_FLAG_MIX)) {
 			stream_action |= X_JOIN;
-		if (strchr(args.options, 'b'))
-			waitforbridge = 1;
-		if (strchr(args.options, 'i'))
+		}
+		if (ast_test_flag(&flags, MON_FLAG_DROP_IN)) {
 			stream_action &= ~X_REC_IN;
-		if (strchr(args.options, 'o'))
+		}
+		if (ast_test_flag(&flags, MON_FLAG_DROP_OUT)) {
 			stream_action &= ~X_REC_OUT;
+		}
 	}
 
 	arg = strchr(args.format, ':');
@@ -698,7 +714,7 @@ static int start_monitor_exec(struct ast_channel *chan, const char *data)
 		ast_cdr_setuserfield(ast_channel_name(chan), tmp);
 		ast_channel_unlock(chan);
 	}
-	if (waitforbridge) {
+	if (ast_test_flag(&flags, MON_FLAG_BRIDGED)) {
 		/* We must remove the "b" option if listed.  In principle none of
 		   the following could give NULL results, but we check just to
 		   be pedantic. Reconstructing with checks for 'm' option does not