diff --git a/src/gsm/gsm48_ie.c b/src/gsm/gsm48_ie.c
index ffe3eba..049f5dc 100644
--- a/src/gsm/gsm48_ie.c
+++ b/src/gsm/gsm48_ie.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 	'8', '9', '*', '#', 'a', 'b', 'c', '\0'
 };
 
-/*! decode a 'called/calling/connect party BCD number' as in 10.5.4.7
+/*! Like gsm48_decode_bcd_number2() but with less airtight bounds checking.
  *  \param[out] Caller-provided output buffer
  *  \param[in] bcd_lv Length-Value portion of to-be-decoded IE
  *  \param[in] h_len Length of an optional heder between L and V portion
@@ -76,6 +76,32 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*! Decode a 'called/calling/connect party BCD number' as in 10.5.4.7.
+ * \param[out] output  Caller-provided output buffer.
+ * \param[in] output_len  sizeof(output).
+ * \param[in] bcd_lv  Length-Value part of to-be-decoded IE.
+ * \param[in] input_len  Size of the buffer to read the IE from.
+ * \param[in] h_len  Length of an optional header between L and V parts.
+ * \return 0 in case of success, negative on error. Errors checked: no or too little input data, no or too little
+ * output buffer size, IE length exceeds input data size, decoded number exceeds size of the output buffer. The output
+ * is guaranteed to be nul terminated iff output_len > 0.
+ */
+int gsm48_decode_bcd_number2(char *output, size_t output_len,
+			     const uint8_t *bcd_lv, size_t input_len,
+			     size_t h_len)
+{
+	uint8_t len;
+	if (output_len < 1)
+		return -ENOSPC;
+	*output = '\0';
+	if (input_len < 1)
+		return -EIO;
+	len = bcd_lv[0];
+	if (input_len < len)
+		return -EIO;
+	return gsm48_decode_bcd_number(output, output_len, bcd_lv, h_len);
+}
+
 /*! convert a single ASCII character to call-control BCD */
 static int asc_to_bcd(const char asc)
 {
diff --git a/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map b/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
index 5bb189f..9c5123e 100644
--- a/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
+++ b/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@
 gsm48_encode_ra;
 gsm48_hdr_gmm_cipherable;
 gsm48_decode_bcd_number;
+gsm48_decode_bcd_number2;
 gsm48_decode_bearer_cap;
 gsm48_decode_called;
 gsm48_decode_callerid;