diff --git a/doc/migration_guide.md b/doc/migration_guide.md
index ee72e52c7..ac8048df6 100644
--- a/doc/migration_guide.md
+++ b/doc/migration_guide.md
@@ -233,6 +233,32 @@ multi-dimensional array isn't supported, because if we want to support array
 with runtime-defined rank, we can't deduce the correct shape, e.g. `[1]` vs.
 `[1, 1, 1]`, when read into an array.
 
-# Removal of `Object*Props`.
-To out knowledge these could not be used meaningfully. Please create an issue
+## Change to `File::Truncate` and friends.
+In `v2`, `File::{ReadOnly,Truncate,...}` was an anonymous member enum of
+`File`. Effectively it's type was the same as an `int`.
+
+To improve type-safety, we converted it into an `enum class` called
+`File::AccessMode`. In order to reduce the migration effort, we retained the
+ability to write: `File::ReadOnly`.
+
+Functions that accept a file access mode should be modernized as follows:
+```
+// old
+HighFive::File open(std::string name, int mode) {
+  return HighFive::File(name, mode);
+}
+
+// new
+HighFive::File open(std::string name, HighFive::File::AccessMode mode) {
+  return HighFive::File(name, mode);
+}
+```
+
+Note: There's a caveat, the short-hand notation `File::ReadOnly` doesn't have
+an address. Meaning one can't take it's address or const-references of it
+(results in a linker error about missing symbol `File::ReadOnly`). Use
+`File::AccessMode::ReadOnly` instead.
+
+## Removal of `Object*Props`.
+To our knowledge these could not be used meaningfully. Please create an issue
 if you relied on these.
diff --git a/include/highfive/H5File.hpp b/include/highfive/H5File.hpp
index b134aaa49..fd77042b0 100644
--- a/include/highfive/H5File.hpp
+++ b/include/highfive/H5File.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <string>
+#include <type_traits>
 
 #include "H5Object.hpp"
 #include "H5PropertyList.hpp"
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@
 
 namespace HighFive {
 
+
 ///
 /// \brief File class
 ///
@@ -24,25 +26,35 @@ class File: public Object, public NodeTraits<File>, public AnnotateTraits<File>
   public:
     const static ObjectType type = ObjectType::File;
 
-    enum : unsigned {
+    enum class AccessMode {
+        None = 0x00u,
         /// Open flag: Read only access
-        ReadOnly = 0x00u,
+        ReadOnly = 0x01u,
         /// Open flag: Read Write access
-        ReadWrite = 0x01u,
+        ReadWrite = 0x02u,
         /// Open flag: Truncate a file if already existing
-        Truncate = 0x02u,
+        Truncate = 0x04u,
         /// Open flag: Open will fail if file already exist
-        Excl = 0x04u,
+        Excl = 0x08u,
         /// Open flag: Open in debug mode
-        Debug = 0x08u,
+        Debug = 0x10u,
         /// Open flag: Create non existing file
-        Create = 0x10u,
+        Create = 0x20u,
         /// Derived open flag: common write mode (=ReadWrite|Create|Truncate)
         Overwrite = Truncate,
         /// Derived open flag: Opens RW or exclusively creates
         OpenOrCreate = ReadWrite | Create
     };
 
+    constexpr static AccessMode ReadOnly = AccessMode::ReadOnly;
+    constexpr static AccessMode ReadWrite = AccessMode::ReadWrite;
+    constexpr static AccessMode Truncate = AccessMode::Truncate;
+    constexpr static AccessMode Excl = AccessMode::Excl;
+    constexpr static AccessMode Debug = AccessMode::Debug;
+    constexpr static AccessMode Create = AccessMode::Create;
+    constexpr static AccessMode Overwrite = AccessMode::Overwrite;
+    constexpr static AccessMode OpenOrCreate = AccessMode::OpenOrCreate;
+
     ///
     /// \brief File
     /// \param filename: filepath of the HDF5 file
@@ -51,7 +63,7 @@ class File: public Object, public NodeTraits<File>, public AnnotateTraits<File>
     ///
     /// Open or create a new HDF5 file
     explicit File(const std::string& filename,
-                  unsigned openFlags = ReadOnly,
+                  AccessMode openFlags = ReadOnly,
                   const FileAccessProps& fileAccessProps = FileAccessProps::Default());
 
     ///
@@ -63,7 +75,7 @@ class File: public Object, public NodeTraits<File>, public AnnotateTraits<File>
     ///
     /// Open or create a new HDF5 file
     File(const std::string& filename,
-         unsigned openFlags,
+         AccessMode openFlags,
          const FileCreateProps& fileCreateProps,
          const FileAccessProps& fileAccessProps = FileAccessProps::Default());
 
@@ -131,6 +143,46 @@ class File: public Object, public NodeTraits<File>, public AnnotateTraits<File>
     friend class PathTraits;
 };
 
+inline File::AccessMode operator|(File::AccessMode lhs, File::AccessMode rhs) {
+    using int_t = std::underlying_type<File::AccessMode>::type;
+    return static_cast<File::AccessMode>(static_cast<int_t>(lhs) | static_cast<int_t>(rhs));
+}
+
+inline File::AccessMode operator&(File::AccessMode lhs, File::AccessMode rhs) {
+    using int_t = std::underlying_type<File::AccessMode>::type;
+    return static_cast<File::AccessMode>(static_cast<int_t>(lhs) & static_cast<int_t>(rhs));
+}
+
+inline File::AccessMode operator^(File::AccessMode lhs, File::AccessMode rhs) {
+    using int_t = std::underlying_type<File::AccessMode>::type;
+    return static_cast<File::AccessMode>(static_cast<int_t>(lhs) ^ static_cast<int_t>(rhs));
+}
+
+inline File::AccessMode operator~(File::AccessMode mode) {
+    using int_t = std::underlying_type<File::AccessMode>::type;
+    return static_cast<File::AccessMode>(~static_cast<int_t>(mode));
+}
+
+inline const File::AccessMode& operator|=(File::AccessMode& lhs, File::AccessMode rhs) {
+    lhs = lhs | rhs;
+    return lhs;
+}
+
+inline File::AccessMode operator&=(File::AccessMode& lhs, File::AccessMode rhs) {
+    lhs = lhs & rhs;
+    return lhs;
+}
+
+inline File::AccessMode operator^=(File::AccessMode& lhs, File::AccessMode rhs) {
+    lhs = lhs ^ rhs;
+    return lhs;
+}
+
+inline bool any(File::AccessMode mode) {
+    return mode != File::AccessMode::None;
+}
+
+
 }  // namespace HighFive
 
 // H5File is the main user constructible -> bring in implementation headers
diff --git a/include/highfive/bits/H5File_misc.hpp b/include/highfive/bits/H5File_misc.hpp
index 6013953b1..0d8088da5 100644
--- a/include/highfive/bits/H5File_misc.hpp
+++ b/include/highfive/bits/H5File_misc.hpp
@@ -22,33 +22,33 @@ namespace {  // unnamed
 
 // libhdf5 uses a preprocessor trick on their oflags
 // we can not declare them constant without a mapper
-inline unsigned convert_open_flag(unsigned openFlags) {
+inline unsigned convert_open_flag(File::AccessMode openFlags) {
     unsigned res_open = 0;
-    if (openFlags & File::ReadOnly)
+    if (any(openFlags & File::ReadOnly))
         res_open |= H5F_ACC_RDONLY;
-    if (openFlags & File::ReadWrite)
+    if (any(openFlags & File::ReadWrite))
         res_open |= H5F_ACC_RDWR;
-    if (openFlags & File::Create)
+    if (any(openFlags & File::Create))
         res_open |= H5F_ACC_CREAT;
-    if (openFlags & File::Truncate)
+    if (any(openFlags & File::Truncate))
         res_open |= H5F_ACC_TRUNC;
-    if (openFlags & File::Excl)
+    if (any(openFlags & File::Excl))
         res_open |= H5F_ACC_EXCL;
     return res_open;
 }
 }  // namespace
 
 inline File::File(const std::string& filename,
-                  unsigned openFlags,
+                  AccessMode openFlags,
                   const FileAccessProps& fileAccessProps)
     : File(filename, openFlags, FileCreateProps::Default(), fileAccessProps) {}
 
 
 inline File::File(const std::string& filename,
-                  unsigned openFlags,
+                  AccessMode access_mode,
                   const FileCreateProps& fileCreateProps,
                   const FileAccessProps& fileAccessProps) {
-    openFlags = convert_open_flag(openFlags);
+    unsigned openFlags = convert_open_flag(access_mode);
 
     unsigned createMode = openFlags & (H5F_ACC_TRUNC | H5F_ACC_EXCL);
     unsigned openMode = openFlags & (H5F_ACC_RDWR | H5F_ACC_RDONLY);
diff --git a/tests/unit/tests_high_five_base.cpp b/tests/unit/tests_high_five_base.cpp
index 02ce7a04d..da6e024df 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tests_high_five_base.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/tests_high_five_base.cpp
@@ -137,8 +137,27 @@ TEST_CASE("Test open modes in HighFive") {
     { File file(file_name, File::Truncate); }
 
     // Last but not least, defaults should be ok
-    { File file(file_name); }     // ReadOnly
-    { File file(file_name, 0); }  // force empty-flags, does open without flags
+    { File file(file_name); }  // ReadOnly
+}
+
+void check_access_mode(File::AccessMode mode) {
+    CHECK(any(mode));
+    CHECK(((File::ReadOnly | mode) & File::ReadOnly) == File::AccessMode::ReadOnly);
+    CHECK(!any(File::ReadOnly & mode));
+    CHECK(((File::ReadOnly | mode) ^ mode) == File::AccessMode::ReadOnly);
+    CHECK((File::ReadOnly & ~mode) == File::AccessMode::ReadOnly);
+    CHECK(!any(mode & ~mode));
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("File::AccessMode") {
+    CHECK(!any(File::AccessMode::None));
+    CHECK(any(File::ReadOnly));
+
+    check_access_mode(File::ReadWrite);
+    check_access_mode(File::Truncate);
+    check_access_mode(File::Excl);
+    check_access_mode(File::Debug);
+    check_access_mode(File::Create);
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("Test file version bounds") {