diff --git a/system/bta/dm/bta_dm_act.cc b/system/bta/dm/bta_dm_act.cc
index 0282bc7afb9ec84067e6c701120338dcbb191e19..6c665ab0019a37e66a3fc64f8523e37d975b5f55 100644
--- a/system/bta/dm/bta_dm_act.cc
+++ b/system/bta/dm/bta_dm_act.cc
@@ -2487,8 +2487,7 @@ void bta_dm_rm_cback(tBTA_SYS_CONN_STATUS status, uint8_t id, uint8_t app_id,
         if (((p_bta_dm_rm_cfg[j].app_id == app_id) ||
              (p_bta_dm_rm_cfg[j].app_id == BTA_ALL_APP_ID)) &&
             (p_bta_dm_rm_cfg[j].id == id)) {
-          role = p_bta_dm_rm_cfg[j].cfg;
-
+          role = toBTA_PREF_ROLES(p_bta_dm_rm_cfg[j].cfg);
           if (role > p_dev->pref_role) p_dev->pref_role = role;
           break;
         }
diff --git a/system/bta/include/bta_api.h b/system/bta/include/bta_api.h
index 5b973574388a1143365a256015fadc2dc2c6328d..24ecd67dd6f05bed35ca3d8e2859940b85f609a7 100644
--- a/system/bta/include/bta_api.h
+++ b/system/bta/include/bta_api.h
@@ -119,14 +119,21 @@ typedef uint16_t
 
 typedef uint16_t tBTA_DM_CONN;
 
-/* M/S preferred roles */
-#define BTA_ANY_ROLE 0x00
-#define BTA_CENTRAL_ROLE_PREF 0x01
-#define BTA_CENTRAL_ROLE_ONLY 0x02
-#define BTA_PERIPHERAL_ROLE_ONLY \
-  0x03 /* Used for PANU only, skip role switch to central */
-
-typedef uint8_t tBTA_PREF_ROLES;
+/* Central/peripheral preferred roles */
+typedef enum : uint8_t {
+  BTA_ANY_ROLE = 0x00,
+  BTA_CENTRAL_ROLE_PREF = 0x01,
+  BTA_CENTRAL_ROLE_ONLY = 0x02,
+  /* Used for PANU only, skip role switch to central */
+  BTA_PERIPHERAL_ROLE_ONLY = 0x03,
+} tBTA_PREF_ROLES;
+
+inline tBTA_PREF_ROLES toBTA_PREF_ROLES(uint8_t role) {
+  ASSERT_LOG(role <= BTA_PERIPHERAL_ROLE_ONLY,
+             "Passing illegal preferred role:0x%02x [0x%02x<=>0x%02x]", role,
+             BTA_ANY_ROLE, BTA_PERIPHERAL_ROLE_ONLY);
+  return static_cast<tBTA_PREF_ROLES>(role);
+}
 
 inline std::string preferred_role_text(const tBTA_PREF_ROLES& role) {
   switch (role) {