diff --git a/utils/aa-mergeprof b/utils/aa-mergeprof
index d5700dbd2..8988e1956 100755
--- a/utils/aa-mergeprof
+++ b/utils/aa-mergeprof
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ def act(files, merging_profile):
             elif ans == 'CMD_VIEW_CHANGES':
                 for program in programs:
                     apparmor.aa.original_aa[program] = apparmor.aa.deepcopy(apparmor.aa.aa[program])
-                #oldprofile = apparmor.serialize_profile(apparmor.original_aa[program], program, '')
-                newprofile = apparmor.aa.serialize_profile(mergeprofiles.user.aa[program], program, '')
+                #oldprofile = apparmor.serialize_profile(apparmor.original_aa[program], program, {})
+                newprofile = apparmor.aa.serialize_profile(mergeprofiles.user.aa[program], program, {})
                 aaui.UI_Changes(mergeprofiles.user.filename, newprofile, comments=True)
             elif ans == 'CMD_IGNORE_ENTRY':
                 break
diff --git a/utils/apparmor/aa.py b/utils/apparmor/aa.py
index faa22deca..ccc81ea27 100644
--- a/utils/apparmor/aa.py
+++ b/utils/apparmor/aa.py
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ def get_profile(prof_name):
         inactive_profile[prof_name][prof_name].pop('filename')
         profile_hash[uname]['username'] = uname
         profile_hash[uname]['profile_type'] = 'INACTIVE_LOCAL'
-        profile_hash[uname]['profile'] = serialize_profile(inactive_profile[prof_name], prof_name, None)
+        profile_hash[uname]['profile'] = serialize_profile(inactive_profile[prof_name], prof_name, {})
         profile_hash[uname]['profile_data'] = inactive_profile
 
         existing_profiles.pop(prof_name)  # remove profile filename from list to force storing in /etc/apparmor.d/ instead of extra_profile_dir
@@ -732,7 +732,6 @@ def sync_profile():
     repo_profiles = []
     changed_profiles = []
     new_profiles = []
-    serialize_opts = dict()
     status_ok, ret = fetch_profiles_by_user(cfg['repository']['url'],
                                             cfg['repository']['distro'], user)
     if not status_ok:
@@ -741,7 +740,7 @@ def sync_profile():
         aaui.UI_Important(_('WARNING: Error synchronizing profiles with the repository:\n%s\n') % ret)
     else:
         users_repo_profiles = ret
-        serialize_opts['NO_FLAGS'] = True
+        serialize_opts = {'FLAGS': False}
         for prof in sorted(aa.keys()):
             if is_repo_profile([aa[prof][prof]]):
                 repo_profiles.append(prof)
@@ -1892,15 +1891,14 @@ def save_profiles():
                 else:
                     oldprofile = get_profile_filename(which)
 
-                serialize_options = {}
-                serialize_options['METADATA'] = True
+                serialize_options = {'METADATA': True}
                 newprofile = serialize_profile(aa[which], which, serialize_options)
 
                 aaui.UI_Changes(oldprofile, newprofile, comments=True)
 
             elif ans == 'CMD_VIEW_CHANGES_CLEAN':
-                oldprofile = serialize_profile(original_aa[which], which, '')
-                newprofile = serialize_profile(aa[which], which, '')
+                oldprofile = serialize_profile(original_aa[which], which, {})
+                newprofile = serialize_profile(aa[which], which, {})
 
                 aaui.UI_Changes(oldprofile, newprofile)
 
@@ -2666,15 +2664,13 @@ def write_piece(profile_data, depth, name, nhat, write_flags):
 
 def serialize_profile(profile_data, name, options):
     string = ''
-    include_metadata = False
-    include_flags = True
     data = []
 
-    if options:  # and type(options) == dict:
-        if options.get('METADATA', False):
-            include_metadata = True
-        if options.get('NO_FLAGS', False):
-            include_flags = False
+    if type(options) is not dict:
+        raise AppArmorBug('serialize_profile(): options is not a dict: %s' % options)
+
+    include_metadata = options.get('METADATA', False)
+    include_flags = options.get('FLAGS', True)
 
     if include_metadata:
         string = '# Last Modified: %s\n' % time.asctime()
@@ -2737,8 +2733,7 @@ def write_profile(profile):
         #os.chmod(newprof.name, permission_600)
         pass
 
-    serialize_options = {}
-    serialize_options['METADATA'] = True
+    serialize_options = {'METADATA': True}
 
     profile_string = serialize_profile(aa[profile], profile, serialize_options)
     newprof.write(profile_string)
diff --git a/utils/apparmor/tools.py b/utils/apparmor/tools.py
index 6123b9995..c812158dc 100644
--- a/utils/apparmor/tools.py
+++ b/utils/apparmor/tools.py
@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@ class aa_tools:
                         apparmor.write_profile_ui_feedback(program)
                         self.reload_profile(filename)
                     elif ans == 'CMD_VIEW_CHANGES':
-                        #oldprofile = apparmor.serialize_profile(apparmor.original_aa[program], program, '')
-                        newprofile = apparmor.serialize_profile(apparmor.aa[program], program, '')
+                        #oldprofile = apparmor.serialize_profile(apparmor.original_aa[program], program, {})
+                        newprofile = apparmor.serialize_profile(apparmor.aa[program], program, {})
                         aaui.UI_Changes(filename, newprofile, comments=True)
             else:
                 apparmor.write_profile_ui_feedback(program)
diff --git a/utils/test/test-libapparmor-test_multi.py b/utils/test/test-libapparmor-test_multi.py
index a5bf5882c..642d874b9 100644
--- a/utils/test/test-libapparmor-test_multi.py
+++ b/utils/test/test-libapparmor-test_multi.py
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ def logfile_to_profile(logfile):
     apparmor.aa.filelist = apparmor.aa.hasher()
     apparmor.aa.filelist[profile_dummy_file]['profiles'][profile] = True
 
-    new_profile = apparmor.aa.serialize_profile(log_dict[aamode][profile], profile, None)
+    new_profile = apparmor.aa.serialize_profile(log_dict[aamode][profile], profile, {})
 
     return profile, new_profile