diff --git a/client_library/client_dbus.cc b/client_library/client_dbus.cc
index 18ae23b..d046502 100644
--- a/client_library/client_dbus.cc
+++ b/client_library/client_dbus.cc
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 
 #include "update_engine/update_status_utils.h"
 
-using chromeos_update_engine::StringToUpdateStatus;
 using dbus::Bus;
 using org::chromium::UpdateEngineInterfaceProxy;
 using std::string;
@@ -48,13 +47,13 @@
 namespace {
 // This converts the status from Protobuf |StatusResult| to The internal
 // |UpdateEngineStatus| struct.
-bool ConvertToUpdateEngineStatus(const StatusResult& status,
+void ConvertToUpdateEngineStatus(const StatusResult& status,
                                  UpdateEngineStatus* out_status) {
   out_status->last_checked_time = status.last_checked_time();
   out_status->progress = status.progress();
   out_status->new_version = status.new_version();
   out_status->new_size_bytes = status.new_size();
-  return StringToUpdateStatus(status.current_operation(), &out_status->status);
+  out_status->status = static_cast<UpdateStatus>(status.current_operation());
 }
 }  // namespace
 
@@ -110,7 +109,8 @@
   *out_progress = status.progress();
   *out_new_version = status.new_version();
   *out_new_size = status.new_size();
-  return StringToUpdateStatus(status.current_operation(), out_update_status);
+  *out_update_status = static_cast<UpdateStatus>(status.current_operation());
+  return true;
 }
 
 bool DBusUpdateEngineClient::GetStatus(UpdateEngineStatus* out_status) const {
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@
     return false;
   }
 
-  return ConvertToUpdateEngineStatus(status, out_status);
+  ConvertToUpdateEngineStatus(status, out_status);
+  return true;
 }
 
 bool DBusUpdateEngineClient::SetCohortHint(const string& cohort_hint) {
diff --git a/client_library/include/update_engine/update_status.h b/client_library/include/update_engine/update_status.h
index edf90b4..059181c 100644
--- a/client_library/include/update_engine/update_status.h
+++ b/client_library/include/update_engine/update_status.h
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@
 
 #include <brillo/enum_flags.h>
 
+// NOTE: Keep this file in sync with
+// platform2/system_api/dbus/update_engine/update_engine.proto especially:
+// - |UpdateStatus| <-> |Operation|
+// - |UpdateEngineStatus| <-> |StatusResult|
+
 namespace update_engine {
 
 // ATTENTION:
@@ -43,6 +48,13 @@
   // Broadcast this state when an update aborts because user preferences do not
   // allow updates, e.g. over cellular network.
   NEED_PERMISSION_TO_UPDATE = 10,
+
+  // This value is exclusively used in Chrome. DO NOT define nor use it.
+  // TODO(crbug.com/977320): Remove this value from chrome by refactoring the
+  // Chrome code and evantually from here. This is not really an operation or
+  // state that the update engine stays on. This is the result of an internal
+  // failure and should be reflected differently.
+  // ERROR = -1,
 };
 
 // Enum of bit-wise flags for controlling how updates are attempted.
diff --git a/dbus_service.cc b/dbus_service.cc
index 4e37221..0cfe26b 100644
--- a/dbus_service.cc
+++ b/dbus_service.cc
@@ -33,8 +33,10 @@
 using dlcservice::DlcModuleList;
 using std::string;
 using std::vector;
+using update_engine::Operation;
 using update_engine::StatusResult;
 using update_engine::UpdateEngineStatus;
+using update_engine::UpdateStatus;
 
 namespace {
 // Converts the internal |UpdateEngineStatus| to the protobuf |StatusResult|.
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@
                            StatusResult* out_status) {
   out_status->set_last_checked_time(ue_status.last_checked_time);
   out_status->set_progress(ue_status.progress);
-  out_status->set_current_operation(UpdateStatusToString(ue_status.status));
+  out_status->set_current_operation(static_cast<Operation>(ue_status.status));
   out_status->set_new_version(ue_status.new_version);
   out_status->set_new_size(ue_status.new_size_bytes);
 }
@@ -240,7 +242,8 @@
   // TODO(crbug.com/977320): Deprecate |StatusUpdate| signal.
   SendStatusUpdateSignal(status.last_checked_time(),
                          status.progress(),
-                         status.current_operation(),
+                         UpdateStatusToString(static_cast<UpdateStatus>(
+                             status.current_operation())),
                          status.new_version(),
                          status.new_size());
 
diff --git a/update_status_utils.cc b/update_status_utils.cc
index cbc4f14..f3917d1 100644
--- a/update_status_utils.cc
+++ b/update_status_utils.cc
@@ -52,42 +52,4 @@
   return nullptr;
 }
 
-bool StringToUpdateStatus(const std::string& s, UpdateStatus* status) {
-  if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusIdle) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::IDLE;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusCheckingForUpdate) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::CHECKING_FOR_UPDATE;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusUpdateAvailable) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::UPDATE_AVAILABLE;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusNeedPermissionToUpdate) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::NEED_PERMISSION_TO_UPDATE;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusDownloading) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::DOWNLOADING;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusVerifying) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::VERIFYING;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusFinalizing) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::FINALIZING;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusUpdatedNeedReboot) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::UPDATED_NEED_REBOOT;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusReportingErrorEvent) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::REPORTING_ERROR_EVENT;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusAttemptingRollback) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::ATTEMPTING_ROLLBACK;
-    return true;
-  } else if (s == update_engine::kUpdateStatusDisabled) {
-    *status = UpdateStatus::DISABLED;
-    return true;
-  }
-  return false;
-}
-
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
diff --git a/update_status_utils.h b/update_status_utils.h
index 30ae53b..e3b8b43 100644
--- a/update_status_utils.h
+++ b/update_status_utils.h
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@
 
 const char* UpdateStatusToString(const update_engine::UpdateStatus& status);
 
-bool StringToUpdateStatus(const std::string& update_status_as_string,
-                          update_engine::UpdateStatus* status);
-
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
 
 #endif  // UPDATE_ENGINE_UPDATE_STATUS_UTILS_H_