diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-context.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-context.c
index 45bd6f6b4..93064a002 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-context.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-context.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	GHashTable *compile_versions;
 	GPtrArray *udev_subsystems;
 	GHashTable *firmware_gtypes;
+	GHashTable *hwid_flags; /* str: */
 	FuBatteryState battery_state;
 	guint battery_level;
 	guint battery_threshold;
@@ -501,6 +502,7 @@ gboolean
 fu_context_load_hwinfo(FuContext *self, GError **error)
 {
 	FuContextPrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	GPtrArray *guids;
 	g_autoptr(GError) error_smbios = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(GError) error_hwids = NULL;
 
@@ -512,10 +514,45 @@ fu_context_load_hwinfo(FuContext *self, GError **error)
 	if (!fu_hwids_setup(priv->hwids, priv->smbios, &error_hwids))
 		g_warning("Failed to load HWIDs: %s", error_hwids->message);
 
+	/* set the hwid flags */
+	guids = fu_context_get_hwid_guids(self);
+	for (guint i = 0; i < guids->len; i++) {
+		const gchar *guid = g_ptr_array_index(guids, i);
+		const gchar *value;
+
+		/* does prefixed quirk exist */
+		value = fu_context_lookup_quirk_by_id(self, guid, FU_QUIRKS_FLAGS);
+		if (value != NULL) {
+			g_auto(GStrv) values = g_strsplit(value, ",", -1);
+			for (guint j = 0; values[j] != NULL; j++)
+				g_hash_table_add(priv->hwid_flags, g_strdup(values[j]));
+		}
+	}
+
 	/* always */
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+/**
+ * fu_context_has_hwid_flag:
+ * @self: a #FuContext
+ * @flag: flag, e.g. `use-legacy-bootmgr-desc`
+ *
+ * Returns if a HwId custom flag exists, typically added from a DMI quirk.
+ *
+ * Returns: %TRUE if the flag exists
+ *
+ * Since: 1.7.2
+ **/
+gboolean
+fu_context_has_hwid_flag(FuContext *self, const gchar *flag)
+{
+	FuContextPrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(FU_IS_CONTEXT(self), FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(flag != NULL, FALSE);
+	return g_hash_table_lookup(priv->hwid_flags, flag) != NULL;
+}
+
 /**
  * fu_context_load_quirks:
  * @self: a #FuContext
@@ -716,6 +753,7 @@ fu_context_finalize(GObject *object)
 	if (priv->compile_versions != NULL)
 		g_hash_table_unref(priv->compile_versions);
 	g_object_unref(priv->hwids);
+	g_hash_table_unref(priv->hwid_flags);
 	g_object_unref(priv->quirks);
 	g_object_unref(priv->smbios);
 	g_hash_table_unref(priv->firmware_gtypes);
@@ -782,6 +820,7 @@ fu_context_init(FuContext *self)
 	priv->battery_threshold = FU_BATTERY_VALUE_INVALID;
 	priv->smbios = fu_smbios_new();
 	priv->hwids = fu_hwids_new();
+	priv->hwid_flags = g_hash_table_new_full(g_str_hash, g_str_equal, g_free, NULL);
 	priv->udev_subsystems = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func(g_free);
 	priv->firmware_gtypes = g_hash_table_new_full(g_str_hash, g_str_equal, g_free, NULL);
 	priv->quirks = fu_quirks_new();
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-context.h b/libfwupdplugin/fu-context.h
index 37d14ed90..d5b4d9732 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-context.h
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-context.h
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ gboolean
 fu_context_has_hwid_guid(FuContext *self, const gchar *guid);
 GPtrArray *
 fu_context_get_hwid_guids(FuContext *self);
+gboolean
+fu_context_has_hwid_flag(FuContext *self, const gchar *flag);
 const gchar *
 fu_context_get_hwid_value(FuContext *self, const gchar *key);
 gchar *
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
index 3eea5bc66..e60ba72b9 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
@@ -611,30 +611,12 @@ gboolean
 fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(FuPlugin *self, const gchar *flag)
 {
 	FuPluginPrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
-	GPtrArray *guids;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail(FU_IS_PLUGIN(self), FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail(flag != NULL, FALSE);
 
 	/* never set up, e.g. in tests */
-	if (priv->ctx == NULL)
-		return FALSE;
-
-	/* search each hwid */
-	guids = fu_context_get_hwid_guids(priv->ctx);
-	for (guint i = 0; i < guids->len; i++) {
-		const gchar *guid = g_ptr_array_index(guids, i);
-		const gchar *value;
-
-		/* does prefixed quirk exist */
-		value = fu_context_lookup_quirk_by_id(priv->ctx, guid, FU_QUIRKS_FLAGS);
-		if (value != NULL) {
-			g_auto(GStrv) values = g_strsplit(value, ",", -1);
-			if (g_strv_contains((const gchar *const *)values, flag))
-				return TRUE;
-		}
-	}
-	return FALSE;
+	return fu_context_has_hwid_flag(priv->ctx, flag);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.h b/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.h
index f9798c656..1eeb2f9b2 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.h
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.h
@@ -133,4 +133,5 @@ fu_plugin_get_config_value_boolean(FuPlugin *self, const gchar *key);
 gboolean
 fu_plugin_set_config_value(FuPlugin *self, const gchar *key, const gchar *value, GError **error);
 gboolean
-fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(FuPlugin *self, const gchar *flag);
+fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(FuPlugin *self, const gchar *flag)
+    G_DEPRECATED_FOR(fu_context_has_hwid_flag);
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
index a4c730e3f..9f7cf9c28 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
@@ -945,3 +945,9 @@ LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.7.1 {
     fu_usb_device_new_with_context;
   local: *;
 } LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.7.0;
+
+LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.7.2 {
+  global:
+    fu_context_has_hwid_flag;
+  local: *;
+} LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.7.1;
diff --git a/plugins/elantp/fu-plugin-elantp.c b/plugins/elantp/fu-plugin-elantp.c
index 3e4c6f6c1..028e2bbb8 100644
--- a/plugins/elantp/fu-plugin-elantp.c
+++ b/plugins/elantp/fu-plugin-elantp.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ gboolean
 fu_plugin_device_created(FuPlugin *plugin, FuDevice *dev, GError **error)
 {
 	if (fu_device_get_specialized_gtype(dev) == FU_TYPE_ELANTP_I2C_DEVICE &&
-	    !fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "elantp-recovery")) {
+	    !fu_context_has_hwid_flag(fu_plugin_get_context(plugin), "elantp-recovery")) {
 		g_set_error_literal(error, FWUPD_ERROR, FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED, "not required");
 		return FALSE;
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/redfish/fu-plugin-redfish.c b/plugins/redfish/fu-plugin-redfish.c
index cee56db8e..cc9781002 100644
--- a/plugins/redfish/fu-plugin-redfish.c
+++ b/plugins/redfish/fu-plugin-redfish.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ fu_plugin_coldplug(FuPlugin *plugin, GError **error)
 	devices = fu_backend_get_devices(FU_BACKEND(data->backend));
 	for (guint i = 0; i < devices->len; i++) {
 		FuDevice *device = g_ptr_array_index(devices, i);
-		if (fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "reset-required"))
+		if (fu_context_has_hwid_flag(fu_plugin_get_context(plugin), "reset-required"))
 			fu_device_add_flag(device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_NEEDS_REBOOT);
 		fu_plugin_device_add(plugin, device);
 	}
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ fu_plugin_startup(FuPlugin *plugin, GError **error)
 		gboolean ca_check = fu_plugin_get_config_value_boolean(plugin, "CACheck");
 		fu_redfish_backend_set_cacheck(data->backend, ca_check);
 	}
-	if (fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "wildcard-targets"))
+	if (fu_context_has_hwid_flag(fu_plugin_get_context(plugin), "wildcard-targets"))
 		fu_redfish_backend_set_wildcard_targets(data->backend, TRUE);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_LINUX_IPMI_H
diff --git a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-plugin-uefi-capsule.c b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-plugin-uefi-capsule.c
index 0ad5f4192..7de0e4716 100644
--- a/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-plugin-uefi-capsule.c
+++ b/plugins/uefi-capsule/fu-plugin-uefi-capsule.c
@@ -465,15 +465,15 @@ fu_plugin_uefi_capsule_coldplug_device(FuPlugin *plugin, FuUefiDevice *dev, GErr
 		return FALSE;
 
 	/* if not already set by quirks */
-	if (fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "use-legacy-bootmgr-desc")) {
+	if (fu_context_has_hwid_flag(ctx, "use-legacy-bootmgr-desc")) {
 		fu_device_add_private_flag(FU_DEVICE(dev),
 					   FU_UEFI_DEVICE_FLAG_USE_LEGACY_BOOTMGR_DESC);
 	}
-	if (fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "supports-boot-order-lock")) {
+	if (fu_context_has_hwid_flag(ctx, "supports-boot-order-lock")) {
 		fu_device_add_private_flag(FU_DEVICE(dev),
 					   FU_UEFI_DEVICE_FLAG_SUPPORTS_BOOT_ORDER_LOCK);
 	}
-	if (fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "no-ux-capsule"))
+	if (fu_context_has_hwid_flag(ctx, "no-ux-capsule"))
 		fu_device_add_private_flag(FU_DEVICE(dev), FU_UEFI_DEVICE_FLAG_NO_UX_CAPSULE);
 
 	/* set fallback name if nothing else is set */
@@ -522,6 +522,7 @@ fu_plugin_uefi_capsule_test_secure_boot(FuPlugin *plugin)
 gboolean
 fu_plugin_startup(FuPlugin *plugin, GError **error)
 {
+	FuContext *ctx = fu_plugin_get_context(plugin);
 	FuPluginData *data = fu_plugin_get_data(plugin);
 	guint64 nvram_total;
 	g_autofree gchar *esp_path = NULL;
@@ -534,11 +535,11 @@ fu_plugin_startup(FuPlugin *plugin, GError **error)
 		return TRUE;
 
 	/* for the uploaded report */
-	if (fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "use-legacy-bootmgr-desc"))
+	if (fu_context_has_hwid_flag(ctx, "use-legacy-bootmgr-desc"))
 		fu_plugin_add_report_metadata(plugin, "BootMgrDesc", "legacy");
 
 	/* some platforms have broken SMBIOS data */
-	if (fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "uefi-force-enable"))
+	if (fu_context_has_hwid_flag(ctx, "uefi-force-enable"))
 		return TRUE;
 
 	/* use GRUB to load updates */
@@ -665,7 +666,7 @@ fu_plugin_uefi_update_state_notify_cb(GObject *object, GParamSpec *pspec, FuPlug
 		return;
 
 	/* only do this on hardware that cannot coalesce multiple capsules */
-	if (!fu_plugin_has_custom_flag(plugin, "no-coalesce"))
+	if (!fu_context_has_hwid_flag(fu_plugin_get_context(plugin), "no-coalesce"))
 		return;
 
 	/* mark every other device for this plugin as non-updatable */