diff --git a/src/trau/ubit_buf.h b/src/trau/ubit_buf.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..224b44b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/trau/ubit_buf.h
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <osmocom/core/bits.h>
+
+/* Small helper inspired by msgb */
+
+struct ubit_buf {
+	const ubit_t *buf;	/*!< start of underlying buffer */
+	const ubit_t *data;	/*!< next to be consumed bit */
+	size_t n_bits;		/*!< number of total bits iin buffer */
+};
+
+/*! length of [remainig, to be processed] data in ubit_buf */
+static inline size_t ubb_length(struct ubit_buf *ubb)
+{
+	return ubb->n_bits - (ubb->data - ubb->buf);
+}
+
+/*! retrieve + remove a single ubit_t from start of ubit_buf */
+static inline ubit_t ubb_pull_ubit(struct ubit_buf *ubb)
+{
+	OSMO_ASSERT(ubb->data < ubb->buf + ubb->n_bits);
+	return *ubb->data++;
+}
+
+static inline void ubb_pull(struct ubit_buf *ubb, size_t count)
+{
+	OSMO_ASSERT(ubb_length(ubb) >= count);
+	ubb->data += count;
+}
+
+/*! get pointer to next to be consumed bit */
+static inline const ubit_t *ubb_data(struct ubit_buf *ubb)
+{
+	return ubb->data;
+}
+
+static inline void ubb_init(struct ubit_buf *ubb, const ubit_t *bits, size_t n_bits)
+{
+	ubb->buf = bits;
+	ubb->data = ubb->buf;
+	ubb->n_bits = n_bits;
+}