diff --git a/src/smpclient/mcuboot.py b/src/smpclient/mcuboot.py
index ebf17fc..78aa33b 100644
--- a/src/smpclient/mcuboot.py
+++ b/src/smpclient/mcuboot.py
@@ -8,15 +8,13 @@
 import argparse
 import pathlib
 import struct
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 from enum import IntEnum, IntFlag, unique
 from functools import cached_property
 from io import BufferedReader, BytesIO
-from typing import Annotated, Any, Final, Generic, Literal, TypeVar, Union
+from typing import Final, Generic, Literal, TypeVar
 
 from intelhex import hex2bin  # type: ignore
-from pydantic import Field, GetCoreSchemaHandler
-from pydantic.dataclasses import dataclass
-from pydantic_core import CoreSchema, core_schema
 
 ImageMagic = Literal[0x96F3B83D]
 IMAGE_MAGIC: Final[ImageMagic] = 0x96F3B83D
@@ -146,31 +144,25 @@ def __new__(cls, value: int) -> 'VendorTLV':
             )
         return int.__new__(cls, value)
 
-    @classmethod
-    def __get_pydantic_core_schema__(
-        cls, _source_type: Any, _handler: GetCoreSchemaHandler
-    ) -> CoreSchema:
-        def validate(value: int) -> VendorTLV:
-            return cls(value)
 
-        return core_schema.no_info_after_validator_function(
-            validate,
-            core_schema.int_schema(),
-        )
-
-
-ImageTLVType = Annotated[Union[IMAGE_TLV, VendorTLV, int], Field(union_mode="left_to_right")]
+ImageTLVType = IMAGE_TLV | VendorTLV | int
 """TLV type that accepts standard IMAGE_TLV enums, vendor-defined TLVs, or any integer.
 
-This uses Pydantic's "left to right" union mode to:
-1. First try to match against IMAGE_TLV enum values
-2. Then try to validate as a VendorTLV (0xXXA0-0xXXFE ranges)
-3. Finally accept any integer as a fallback
-
-This ensures backward compatibility and supports future TLV types without validation errors.
+`ImageTLV` narrows a raw type field to the leftmost member that accepts it, so an
+unrecognized type stays readable as an `int` instead of failing the parse.
 """
 
 
+def _narrow_tlv_type(value: int) -> ImageTLVType:
+    """Return `value` as the leftmost `ImageTLVType` that accepts it."""
+    for tlv_type in (IMAGE_TLV, VendorTLV):
+        try:
+            return tlv_type(value)
+        except ValueError:
+            continue
+    return value
+
+
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class ImageVersion:
     """An MCUBoot image_version struct."""
@@ -223,7 +215,7 @@ def loads(data: bytes) -> ImageHeader:
             hdr_size=hdr_size,
             protect_tlv_size=protect_tlv_size,
             img_size=img_size,
-            flags=flags,
+            flags=IMAGE_F(flags),
             ver=ImageVersion(*ver),
         )
 
@@ -282,6 +274,10 @@ class ImageTLV:
     len: int
     """Data length (not including TLV header)."""
 
+    def __post_init__(self) -> None:
+        """Narrow `type` to the leftmost `ImageTLVType` that accepts it."""
+        object.__setattr__(self, "type", _narrow_tlv_type(self.type))
+
     @staticmethod
     def load_from(file: BytesIO | BufferedReader) -> ImageTLV:
         """Load an `ImageTLV` from a file."""
diff --git a/tests/test_mcuboot_tools.py b/tests/test_mcuboot_tools.py
index 3b2b8a8..2fbddeb 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcuboot_tools.py
+++ b/tests/test_mcuboot_tools.py
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@
     ImageTLVInfo,
     ImageTLVInfoMagic,
     ImageTLVProtInfoMagic,
-    ImageTLVType,
     ImageTLVValue,
     ImageVersion,
     MCUBootImageError,
     TLVNotFound,
     VendorTLV,
+    _narrow_tlv_type,
     mcuimg,
 )
 
@@ -195,24 +195,20 @@ def test_unknown_tlv_fallback() -> None:
 
 def test_tlv_type_union_order() -> None:
     """Test that union resolution follows left-to-right order."""
-    from pydantic import TypeAdapter
-
-    adapter: TypeAdapter[ImageTLVType] = TypeAdapter(ImageTLVType)
-
     # Standard TLV should match IMAGE_TLV first
-    result = adapter.validate_python(0x02)
-    assert isinstance(result, IMAGE_TLV)
-    assert result == IMAGE_TLV.PUBKEY
-
-    # Vendor TLV should validate
-    result = adapter.validate_python(0xA0)
-    assert isinstance(result, int)
-    assert result == 0xA0
-
-    # Unknown TLV should fallback to int
-    result = adapter.validate_python(0x99)
-    assert isinstance(result, int)
-    assert result == 0x99
+    standard = _narrow_tlv_type(0x02)
+    assert isinstance(standard, IMAGE_TLV)
+    assert standard == IMAGE_TLV.PUBKEY
+
+    # Vendor TLV should validate; VendorTLV rather than a bare int is the whole point
+    vendor = _narrow_tlv_type(0xA0)
+    assert isinstance(vendor, VendorTLV)
+    assert vendor == 0xA0
+
+    # Unknown TLV should fallback to int, matching neither of the narrower members
+    unknown = _narrow_tlv_type(0x99)
+    assert not isinstance(unknown, (IMAGE_TLV, VendorTLV))
+    assert unknown == 0x99
 
 
 def test_tlv_value_str_standard() -> None: