diff --git a/src/detect-engine-siggroup.c b/src/detect-engine-siggroup.c
index 5d0dca7063..31f425d4fc 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-siggroup.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine-siggroup.c
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ int SigGroupHeadAppendSig(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, SigGroupHead **sgh,
             SCLogDebug("(%p)->mpm_content_maxlen %u", *sgh, (*sgh)->mpm_content_maxlen);
         }
     }
-    if (s->flags & SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI) {
+    if (s->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH] != NULL) {
         if (s->mpm_uricontent_maxlen > 0) {
             if ((*sgh)->mpm_uricontent_maxlen == 0)
                 (*sgh)->mpm_uricontent_maxlen = s->mpm_uricontent_maxlen;
@@ -1401,9 +1401,6 @@ int SigGroupHeadLoadUricontent(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, SigGroupHead *sgh)
         if (s == NULL)
             continue;
 
-        if (!(s->flags & SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI))
-            continue;
-
         sm = s->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH];
         if (sm == NULL)
             continue;
diff --git a/src/detect-parse.c b/src/detect-parse.c
index b0edc2d64c..ff6c1f54e4 100644
--- a/src/detect-parse.c
+++ b/src/detect-parse.c
@@ -1306,7 +1306,7 @@ static int SigValidate(Signature *s) {
     SCEnter();
 
     /* check for uricontent + from_server/to_client */
-    if (s->flags & SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI) {
+    if (s->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH] != NULL) {
         SigMatch *sm;
         for (sm = s->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_MATCH]; sm != NULL; sm = sm->next) {
             if (sm->type == DETECT_FLOW) {
@@ -1431,15 +1431,6 @@ Signature *SigInit(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, char *sigstr) {
             sig->flags |= SIG_FLAG_MPM;
         }
     }
-    for (sm = sig->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH]; sm != NULL; sm = sm->next) {
-        if (sm->type == DETECT_URICONTENT) {
-            DetectContentData *ud = (DetectContentData *)sm->ctx;
-            if (ud == NULL)
-                continue;
-
-            sig->flags |= SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI;
-        }
-    }
 
     /* set mpm_content_len */
 
@@ -1460,7 +1451,7 @@ Signature *SigInit(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, char *sigstr) {
             }
         }
     }
-    if (sig->flags & SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI) {
+    if (sig->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH] != NULL) {
         sig->mpm_uricontent_maxlen = 0;
 
         for (sm = sig->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH]; sm != NULL; sm = sm->next) {
@@ -1586,15 +1577,6 @@ Signature *SigInitReal(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, char *sigstr) {
             sig->flags |= SIG_FLAG_MPM;
         }
     }
-    for (sm = sig->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH]; sm != NULL; sm = sm->next) {
-        if (sm->type == DETECT_URICONTENT) {
-            DetectContentData *ud = (DetectContentData *)sm->ctx;
-            if (ud == NULL)
-                continue;
-
-            sig->flags |= SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI;
-        }
-    }
 
     /* set mpm_content_len */
 
@@ -1615,7 +1597,7 @@ Signature *SigInitReal(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, char *sigstr) {
             }
         }
     }
-    if (sig->flags & SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI) {
+    if (sig->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH] != NULL) {
         sig->mpm_uricontent_maxlen = 0;
 
         for (sm = sig->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH]; sm != NULL; sm = sm->next) {
@@ -1667,7 +1649,7 @@ Signature *SigInitReal(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, char *sigstr) {
                 }
             }
         }
-        if (sig->next->flags & SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI) {
+        if (sig->next->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH] != NULL) {
             sig->next->mpm_uricontent_maxlen = 0;
 
             for (sm = sig->next->sm_lists[DETECT_SM_LIST_UMATCH]; sm != NULL; sm = sm->next) {
diff --git a/src/detect.h b/src/detect.h
index e71a6c8c10..9d964bd7a2 100644
--- a/src/detect.h
+++ b/src/detect.h
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ typedef struct DetectPort_ {
 #define SIG_FLAG_NOALERT                (((uint64_t)1)<<5)  /**< no alert flag is set */
 
 #define SIG_FLAG_MPM                    (((uint64_t)1)<<6)  /**< sig has mpm portion (content) */
-#define SIG_FLAG_MPM_URI                (((uint64_t)1)<<7)  /**< sig has mpm portion (uricontent) */
+// reserved
 #define SIG_FLAG_DSIZE                  (((uint64_t)1)<<8)  /**< signature has a dsize setting */
 
 #define SIG_FLAG_APPLAYER               (((uint64_t)1)<<9)  /**< signature applies to app layer instead of packets */