diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/foreign/types.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/foreign/types.scrbl
index 89af119141..4250f72063 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/foreign/types.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/foreign/types.scrbl
@@ -1399,7 +1399,7 @@ is to throw an exception.
 
 @examples[#:eval ffi-eval
   (code:comment "example from snappy-c.h")
-  (define _snappy_status
+  (define @#,racketidfont{_snappy_status}
     (_enum '(ok = 0
              invalid_input
              buffer_too_small)))
@@ -1409,14 +1409,21 @@ is to throw an exception.
          ctype?]{
 
 Similar to @racket[_enum], but the resulting mapping translates a list
-of symbols to a number and back, using @racket[bitwise-ior].  A single
-symbol is equivalent to a list containing just the symbol.  The
-default @racket[basetype] is @racket[_uint], since high bits are often
-used for flags.
+of symbols to a number and back, using @racket[bitwise-ior] on the
+values of individual symbols, where A single symbol is equivalent to a
+list containing just the symbol.
+
+When a symbol does not have a given value (via @racket['=] after the
+symbol in @racket[symbols]), its value is the next power of 2 greater
+than the previous symbol's assignment (or @racket[1] for the first
+symbol).
+
+The default @racket[basetype] is @racket[_uint], since high bits are
+often used for flags.
 
 @examples[#:eval ffi-eval
   (code:comment "example from curl.h")
-  (define _curl_global_flag
+  (define @#,racketidfont{_curl_global_flag}
     (_bitmask `(CURL_GLOBAL_SSL = 1
                 CURL_GLOBAL_WIN32 = 2
                 CURL_GLOBAL_ALL = 3
@@ -1424,7 +1431,7 @@ used for flags.
                 CURL_GLOBAL_DEFAULT = 3
                 CURL_GLOBAL_ACK_EINTR = 4)))
   (code:comment "example from XOrg")
-  (define _Modifiers
+  (define @#,racketidfont{_Modifiers}
     (_bitmask '(ShiftMask = #b0000000000001
                 LockMask = #b0000000000010
                 ControlMask = #b0000000000100
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/foreign-test.rktl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/foreign-test.rktl
index 7f85b9ad94..bb925aeabf 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/foreign-test.rktl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/foreign-test.rktl
@@ -130,6 +130,21 @@
 
 (test 21 ctype-sizeof (_array _byte 3 7))
 
+;; Test enum and bitmask
+(define ([t (_enum '(a b c = 4 d))]
+         [s (_bitmask '(a b c = 14 d))])
+  (define (check t v n)
+    (test n (cast v t _int)))
+  (check t 'a 0)
+  (check t 'b 1)
+  (check t 'c 4)
+  (check t 'd 5)
+  (check t 'a 1)
+  (check t 'b 2)
+  (check t 'c 14)
+  (check t 'd 16)
+  (check t '(a b) 3))
+
 (define-cstruct _ic7i ([i1 _int]
                        [c7 _c7_list]
                        [i2 _int]))
diff --git a/racket/collects/ffi/unsafe.rkt b/racket/collects/ffi/unsafe.rkt
index 2e731066c6..9f90126829 100644
--- a/racket/collects/ffi/unsafe.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/ffi/unsafe.rkt
@@ -828,23 +828,25 @@
 ;; the above with '= -- but the numbers have to be specified in some way.  The
 ;; generated type will convert a list of these symbols into the logical-or of
 ;; their values and back.
-(define (_bitmask name orig-symbols->integers . base?)
+(define (_bitmask name orig-s->i . base?)
   (define basetype (if (pair? base?) (car base?) _uint))
   (define s->c
     (if name (string->symbol (format "bitmask:~a->int" name)) 'bitmask->int))
   (define symbols->integers
-    (let loop ([s->i orig-symbols->integers])
+    (let loop ([s->i orig-s->i] [last 0])
       (cond
        [(null? s->i)
         null]
        [(and (pair? (cdr s->i)) (eq? '= (cadr s->i)) (pair? (cddr s->i)))
         (cons (list (car s->i) (caddr s->i))
-              (loop (cdddr s->i)))]
+              (loop (cdddr s->i) (integer-length (caddr s->i))))]
        [(and (pair? (car s->i)) (pair? (cdar s->i)) (null? (cddar s->i))
              (symbol? (caar s->i)) (integer? (cadar s->i)))
-        (cons (car s->i) (loop (cdr s->i)))]
+        (cons (car s->i) (loop (cdr s->i) (integer-length (cadar s->i))))]
+       [(symbol? (car s->i))
+        (cons (list (car s->i) (arithmetic-shift 1 last)) (loop (cdr s->i) (add1 last)))]
        [else
-        (error '_bitmask "bad spec in ~e" orig-symbols->integers)])))
+        (error '_bitmask "bad spec in ~e" orig-s->i)])))
   (make-ctype basetype
     (lambda (symbols)
       (if (null? symbols) ; probably common