diff --git a/pio/i2c/i2c.pio b/pio/i2c/i2c.pio
index 8e9fae053..65f3e7834 100644
--- a/pio/i2c/i2c.pio
+++ b/pio/i2c/i2c.pio
@@ -108,10 +108,11 @@ static inline void i2c_program_init(PIO pio, uint sm, uint offset, uint pin_sda,
     gpio_set_oeover(pin_scl, GPIO_OVERRIDE_INVERT);
     pio_sm_set_pins_with_mask(pio, sm, 0, both_pins);
 
-    // Clear IRQ flag before starting
-    hw_clear_bits(&pio->inte0, 1u << sm);
-    hw_clear_bits(&pio->inte1, 1u << sm);
-    pio->irq = 1u << sm;
+    // Clear IRQ flag before starting, and make sure flag doesn't actually
+    // assert a system-level interrupt (we're using it as a status flag)
+    pio_set_irq0_source_enabled(pio, pis_interrupt0 + sm, false);
+    pio_set_irq1_source_enabled(pio, pis_interrupt0 + sm, false);
+    pio_interrupt_clear(pio, sm);
 
     // Configure and start SM
     pio_sm_init(pio, sm, offset + i2c_offset_entry_point, &c);
diff --git a/pio/i2c/pio_i2c.c b/pio/i2c/pio_i2c.c
index 35e05304f..ef47e4b82 100644
--- a/pio/i2c/pio_i2c.c
+++ b/pio/i2c/pio_i2c.c
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ const int PIO_I2C_NAK_LSB    = 0;
 
 
 bool pio_i2c_check_error(PIO pio, uint sm) {
-    return !!(pio->irq & (1u << sm));
+    return pio_interrupt_get(pio, sm);
 }
 
 void pio_i2c_resume_after_error(PIO pio, uint sm) {
     pio_sm_drain_tx_fifo(pio, sm);
     pio_sm_exec(pio, sm, (pio->sm[sm].execctrl & PIO_SM0_EXECCTRL_WRAP_BOTTOM_BITS) >> PIO_SM0_EXECCTRL_WRAP_BOTTOM_LSB);
-    pio->irq = 1u << sm;
+    pio_interrupt_clear(pio, sm);
 }
 
 void pio_i2c_rx_enable(PIO pio, uint sm, bool en) {