diff --git a/src/detect-engine-alert.c b/src/detect-engine-alert.c
index 2abff2212b..21047a0df5 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-alert.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine-alert.c
@@ -327,6 +327,12 @@ void PacketAlertFinalize(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx
      * keyword context for sessions and hosts */
     if (!(p->flags & PKT_PSEUDO_STREAM_END))
         TagHandlePacket(de_ctx, det_ctx, p);
+
+    /* Set flag on flow to indicate that it has alerts */
+    if (p->flow != NULL && p->alerts.cnt > 0) {
+        FlowSetHasAlertsFlag(p->flow);
+    }
+
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/flow.c b/src/flow.c
index df1dec39ff..df4a79a7af 100644
--- a/src/flow.c
+++ b/src/flow.c
@@ -157,6 +157,30 @@ void FlowSetIPOnlyFlag(Flow *f, int direction)
     return;
 }
 
+/** \brief Set flag to indicate that flow has alerts
+ *
+ * \param f flow
+ */
+void FlowSetHasAlertsFlag(Flow *f)
+{
+    f->flags |= FLOW_HAS_ALERTS;
+}
+
+/** \brief Check if flow has alerts
+ *
+ * \param f flow
+ * \retval 1 has alerts
+ * \retval 0 has not alerts
+ */
+int FlowHasAlerts(const Flow *f)
+{
+    if (f->flags & FLOW_HAS_ALERTS) {
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  *  \brief determine the direction of the packet compared to the flow
  *  \retval 0 to_server
diff --git a/src/flow.h b/src/flow.h
index d215a58210..d6660dd00c 100644
--- a/src/flow.h
+++ b/src/flow.h
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ typedef struct AppLayerParserState_ AppLayerParserState;
 /** packet to client direction has been logged in drop file (only in IPS mode) */
 #define FLOW_TOCLIENT_DROP_LOGGED       BIT_U32(11)
 
-// vacancy bit 12
+/** flow has alerts */
+#define FLOW_HAS_ALERTS                 BIT_U32(12)
 
 /** Pattern matcher alproto detection done */
 #define FLOW_TS_PM_ALPROTO_DETECT_DONE  BIT_U32(13)
@@ -458,6 +459,8 @@ void FlowInitConfig (char);
 void FlowPrintQueueInfo (void);
 void FlowShutdown(void);
 void FlowSetIPOnlyFlag(Flow *, int);
+void FlowSetHasAlertsFlag(Flow *);
+int FlowHasAlerts(const Flow *);
 
 void FlowRegisterTests (void);
 int FlowSetProtoTimeout(uint8_t ,uint32_t ,uint32_t ,uint32_t);