diff --git a/include/storagecommands.hpp b/include/storagecommands.hpp
index 946161b..3f7c401 100644
--- a/include/storagecommands.hpp
+++ b/include/storagecommands.hpp
@@ -119,8 +119,7 @@
             uint8_t eventMsgRevision;
             uint8_t sensorType;
             uint8_t sensorNum;
-            uint8_t eventType : 7;
-            uint8_t eventDir : 1;
+            uint8_t eventType;
             uint8_t eventData[intel_oem::ipmi::sel::systemEventSize];
         } system;
         struct
@@ -148,8 +147,7 @@
             uint8_t eventMsgRevision;
             uint8_t sensorType;
             uint8_t sensorNum;
-            uint8_t eventType : 7;
-            uint8_t eventDir : 1;
+            uint8_t eventType;
             uint8_t eventData[intel_oem::ipmi::sel::systemEventSize];
         } system;
         struct
diff --git a/src/storagecommands.cpp b/src/storagecommands.cpp
index 33e4611..daf1fec 100644
--- a/src/storagecommands.cpp
+++ b/src/storagecommands.cpp
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@
     "xyz.openbmc_project.FruDevice";
 constexpr static const size_t cacheTimeoutSeconds = 10;
 
-constexpr static const uint8_t deassertionEvent = 1;
+// event direction is bit[7] of eventType where 1b = Deassertion event
+constexpr static const uint8_t deassertionEvent = 0x80;
 
 static std::vector<uint8_t> fruCache;
 static uint8_t cacheBus = 0xFF;
@@ -852,7 +853,7 @@
                 // Set the event direction
                 if (eventDir == 0)
                 {
-                    record.record.system.eventDir = deassertionEvent;
+                    record.record.system.eventType |= deassertionEvent;
                 }
 
                 std::vector<uint8_t> evtData;
@@ -983,7 +984,7 @@
             req->record.system.eventData,
             req->record.system.eventData +
                 intel_oem::ipmi::sel::systemEventSize);
-        bool assert = req->record.system.eventDir ? false : true;
+        bool assert = !(req->record.system.eventType & deassertionEvent);
         uint16_t genId = req->record.system.generatorID;
         sdbusplus::message::message writeSEL = bus.new_method_call(
             ipmiSELObject, ipmiSELPath, ipmiSELAddInterface, "IpmiSelAdd");