diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/AbstractSaveEventListener.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/AbstractSaveEventListener.java
index 7ee4006c85..414fd2e816 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/AbstractSaveEventListener.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/AbstractSaveEventListener.java
@@ -59,11 +59,9 @@ import org.hibernate.type.TypeHelper;
  * @author Steve Ebersole.
  */
 public abstract class AbstractSaveEventListener extends AbstractReassociateEventListener {
-
-	protected static final int PERSISTENT = 0;
-	protected static final int TRANSIENT = 1;
-	protected static final int DETACHED = 2;
-	protected static final int DELETED = 3;
+    public enum EntityState{
+        PERSISTENT, TRANSIENT, DETACHED, DELETED;
+    }
 
     private static final CoreMessageLogger LOG = Logger.getMessageLogger(CoreMessageLogger.class,
                                                                        AbstractSaveEventListener.class.getName());
@@ -475,7 +473,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractSaveEventListener extends AbstractReassociateEvent
 	 *
 	 * @return The state.
 	 */
-	protected int getEntityState(
+	protected EntityState getEntityState(
 			Object entity,
 			String entityName,
 			EntityEntry entry, //pass this as an argument only to avoid double looking
@@ -487,11 +485,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractSaveEventListener extends AbstractReassociateEvent
 			if ( entry.getStatus() != Status.DELETED ) {
 				// do nothing for persistent instances
                 if (LOG.isTraceEnabled()) LOG.trace("Persistent instance of: " + getLoggableName(entityName, entity));
-				return PERSISTENT;
+				return EntityState.PERSISTENT;
 			}
             // ie. e.status==DELETED
             if (LOG.isTraceEnabled()) LOG.trace("Deleted instance of: " + getLoggableName(entityName, entity));
-            return DELETED;
+            return EntityState.DELETED;
 
 		}
         // the object is transient or detached
@@ -501,10 +499,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractSaveEventListener extends AbstractReassociateEvent
 
 		if ( ForeignKeys.isTransient( entityName, entity, getAssumedUnsaved(), source )) {
             if (LOG.isTraceEnabled()) LOG.trace("Transient instance of: " + getLoggableName(entityName, entity));
-            return TRANSIENT;
+            return EntityState.TRANSIENT;
 		}
         if (LOG.isTraceEnabled()) LOG.trace("Detached instance of: " + getLoggableName(entityName, entity));
-        return DETACHED;
+        return EntityState.DETACHED;
 	}
 
 	protected String getLoggableName(String entityName, Object entity) {
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultMergeEventListener.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultMergeEventListener.java
index 5dd15a57e7..fca17cd171 100755
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultMergeEventListener.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultMergeEventListener.java
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ public class DefaultMergeEventListener extends AbstractSaveEventListener impleme
 					copyCache.setOperatedOn( entity, true );
 				}
 				event.setEntity( entity );
-				int entityState = -1;
+				EntityState entityState = null;
 
 				// Check the persistence context for an entry relating to this
 				// entity to be merged...
@@ -237,12 +237,12 @@ public class DefaultMergeEventListener extends AbstractSaveEventListener impleme
 							// have an incoming entity instance which has a corresponding
 							// entry in the current persistence context, but registered
 							// under a different entity instance
-							entityState = DETACHED;
+							entityState = EntityState.DETACHED;
 						}
 					}
 				}
 
-				if ( entityState == -1 ) {
+				if ( entityState == null ) {
 					entityState = getEntityState( entity, event.getEntityName(), entry, source );
 				}
 
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultPersistEventListener.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultPersistEventListener.java
index ff2527790a..d557f88147 100755
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultPersistEventListener.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultPersistEventListener.java
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ public class DefaultPersistEventListener extends AbstractSaveEventListener imple
 		}
 
 		final EntityEntry entityEntry = source.getPersistenceContext().getEntry( entity );
-		int entityState = getEntityState( entity, entityName, entityEntry, source );
-		if ( entityState == DETACHED ) {
+		EntityState entityState = getEntityState( entity, entityName, entityEntry, source );
+		if ( entityState == EntityState.DETACHED ) {
 			// JPA 2, in its version of a "foreign generated", allows the id attribute value
 			// to be manually set by the user, even though this manual value is irrelevant.
 			// The issue is that this causes problems with the Hibernate unsaved-value strategy
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultSaveOrUpdateEventListener.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultSaveOrUpdateEventListener.java
index 4e648f8005..a59d7fdebe 100755
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultSaveOrUpdateEventListener.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/event/internal/DefaultSaveOrUpdateEventListener.java
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public class DefaultSaveOrUpdateEventListener extends AbstractSaveEventListener
 	}
 
 	protected Serializable performSaveOrUpdate(SaveOrUpdateEvent event) {
-		int entityState = getEntityState(
+		EntityState entityState = getEntityState(
 				event.getEntity(),
 				event.getEntityName(),
 				event.getEntry(),