diff --git a/include/osmocom/core/utils.h b/include/osmocom/core/utils.h
index b6e67e2..973a9d0 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/core/utils.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/core/utils.h
@@ -281,8 +281,21 @@
 #define OSMO_STRBUF_PRINTF(STRBUF, fmt, args...) \
 	OSMO_STRBUF_APPEND(STRBUF, snprintf, fmt, ##args)
 
+/*! Get remaining space for characters and terminating nul in the given struct osmo_strbuf.
+ * \param[in] sb  the string buffer to get the remaining space for.
+ * \returns remaining space in the given struct osmo_strbuf. */
+static inline size_t _osmo_strbuf_remain(const struct osmo_strbuf *sb)
+{
+	if (OSMO_UNLIKELY(sb == NULL || sb->buf == NULL))
+		return 0;
+	if (sb->pos == NULL)
+		return sb->len;
+	return sb->len - (sb->pos - sb->buf);
+}
+
 /*! Return remaining space for characters and terminating nul in the given struct osmo_strbuf. */
-#define OSMO_STRBUF_REMAIN(STRBUF) ((STRBUF).buf ? (STRBUF).len - ((STRBUF).pos - (STRBUF).buf) : 0)
+#define OSMO_STRBUF_REMAIN(STRBUF) \
+	_osmo_strbuf_remain(&(STRBUF))
 
 /*! Return number of actual characters contained in struct osmo_strbuf (without terminating nul). */
 #define OSMO_STRBUF_CHAR_COUNT(STRBUF) ((STRBUF).buf && ((STRBUF).pos > (STRBUF).buf) ? \
diff --git a/tests/utils/utils_test.c b/tests/utils/utils_test.c
index bdeedb5..26c94dc 100644
--- a/tests/utils/utils_test.c
+++ b/tests/utils/utils_test.c
@@ -1351,6 +1351,23 @@
 	strbuf_test_tail_for_buflen(1);
 }
 
+void strbuf_test_remain_char_count(void)
+{
+	char buf[20];
+	struct osmo_strbuf sb = { .buf = buf, .len = sizeof(buf) };
+
+	printf("\n%s\n", __func__);
+
+	printf("remaining space: %zu\n", OSMO_STRBUF_REMAIN(sb));
+	printf("current char count: %zu\n", OSMO_STRBUF_CHAR_COUNT(sb));
+
+	printf("populating the buffer\n");
+	OSMO_STRBUF_PRINTF(sb, "osmocom");
+
+	printf("remaining space: %zu\n", OSMO_STRBUF_REMAIN(sb));
+	printf("current char count: %zu\n", OSMO_STRBUF_CHAR_COUNT(sb));
+}
+
 static void startswith_test_str(const char *str, const char *startswith_str, bool expect_rc)
 {
 	bool rc = osmo_str_startswith(str, startswith_str);
@@ -2198,6 +2215,7 @@
 	strbuf_test();
 	strbuf_test_nolen();
 	strbuf_test_tail();
+	strbuf_test_remain_char_count();
 	startswith_test();
 	name_c_impl_test();
 	osmo_print_n_test();
diff --git a/tests/utils/utils_test.ok b/tests/utils/utils_test.ok
index 6f5d46b..c0c9560 100644
--- a/tests/utils/utils_test.ok
+++ b/tests/utils/utils_test.ok
@@ -524,6 +524,13 @@
 6: "" sb.chars_needed=6 sb.pos=&sb.buf[1]
 7: "" sb.chars_needed=12 sb.pos=&sb.buf[1]
 
+strbuf_test_remain_char_count
+remaining space: 20
+current char count: 0
+populating the buffer
+remaining space: 13
+current char count: 7
+
 startswith_test()
 osmo_str_startswith(NULL, NULL) == true
 osmo_str_startswith("", NULL) == true