diff --git a/include/mbgl/map/update.hpp b/include/mbgl/map/update.hpp
index e47feea94..4ad1b1d19 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/map/update.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/map/update.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef MBGL_MAP_UPDATE
 #define MBGL_MAP_UPDATE
 
+#include <mbgl/util/traits.hpp>
+
 #include <cstdint>
 
 namespace mbgl {
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ enum class Update : uint8_t {
 };
 
 inline Update operator| (const Update& lhs, const Update& rhs) {
-    return Update(static_cast<uint8_t>(lhs) | static_cast<uint8_t>(rhs));
+    return Update(mbgl::underlying_type(lhs) | mbgl::underlying_type(rhs));
 }
 
 inline Update& operator|=(Update& lhs, const Update& rhs) {
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ inline Update& operator|=(Update& lhs, const Update& rhs) {
 }
 
 inline bool operator& (const Update& lhs, const Update& rhs) {
-    return static_cast<uint8_t>(lhs) & static_cast<uint8_t>(rhs);
+    return mbgl::underlying_type(lhs) & mbgl::underlying_type(rhs);
 }
 
 } // namespace mbgl
diff --git a/include/mbgl/util/traits.hpp b/include/mbgl/util/traits.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..812d9fb54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/mbgl/util/traits.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#ifndef MBGL_UTIL_TRAITS
+#define MBGL_UTIL_TRAITS
+
+#include <type_traits>
+
+namespace mbgl {
+
+template<typename T>
+constexpr auto underlying_type(T t) -> typename std::underlying_type<T>::type {
+    return static_cast<typename std::underlying_type<T>::type>(t);
+}
+
+} // namespace mbgl
+
+#endif // MBGL_UTIL_TRAITS
diff --git a/src/mbgl/renderer/render_pass.hpp b/src/mbgl/renderer/render_pass.hpp
index a1e965d91..d3b60d066 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/renderer/render_pass.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/renderer/render_pass.hpp
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #ifndef MBGL_RENDERER_RENDER_PASS
 #define MBGL_RENDERER_RENDER_PASS
 
+#include <mbgl/util/traits.hpp>
+
 #include <cstdint>
-#include <type_traits>
 
 namespace mbgl {
 
@@ -13,8 +14,7 @@ enum class RenderPass : uint8_t {
 };
 
 constexpr inline RenderPass operator|(RenderPass a, RenderPass b) {
-    return static_cast<RenderPass>(static_cast<std::underlying_type<RenderPass>::type>(a) |
-                                   static_cast<std::underlying_type<RenderPass>::type>(b));
+    return static_cast<RenderPass>(mbgl::underlying_type(a) | mbgl::underlying_type(b));
 }
 
 inline RenderPass operator|=(RenderPass& a, RenderPass b) {
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ inline RenderPass operator|=(RenderPass& a, RenderPass b) {
 }
 
 constexpr inline RenderPass operator&(RenderPass a, RenderPass b) {
-    return static_cast<RenderPass>(static_cast<std::underlying_type<RenderPass>::type>(a) &
-                                   static_cast<std::underlying_type<RenderPass>::type>(b));
+    return static_cast<RenderPass>(mbgl::underlying_type(a) & mbgl::underlying_type(b));
 }
 
 } // namespace mbgl