diff --git a/include/osmocom/bsc/gsm_data.h b/include/osmocom/bsc/gsm_data.h
index 68f888f..e408ff9 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/bsc/gsm_data.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/bsc/gsm_data.h
@@ -1200,6 +1200,7 @@
 
 void gsm48_lchan2chan_desc(struct gsm48_chan_desc *cd,
 			   const struct gsm_lchan *lchan);
+void gsm48_lchan2chan_desc_as_configured(struct gsm48_chan_desc *cd, const struct gsm_lchan *lchan);
 
 /* return the gsm_lchan for the CBCH (if it exists at all) */
 struct gsm_lchan *gsm_bts_get_cbch(struct gsm_bts *bts);
diff --git a/src/osmo-bsc/gsm_data.c b/src/osmo-bsc/gsm_data.c
index ac965e2..12ab66e 100644
--- a/src/osmo-bsc/gsm_data.c
+++ b/src/osmo-bsc/gsm_data.c
@@ -1329,13 +1329,10 @@
 		gsm_trx_all_ts_dispatch(trx, ts_ev, data);
 }
 
-void gsm48_lchan2chan_desc(struct gsm48_chan_desc *cd,
-			   const struct gsm_lchan *lchan)
+static void _chan_desc_fill_tail(struct gsm48_chan_desc *cd, const struct gsm_lchan *lchan)
 {
-	uint16_t arfcn = lchan->ts->trx->arfcn & 0x3ff;
-
-	cd->chan_nr = gsm_lchan2chan_nr(lchan);
 	if (!lchan->ts->hopping.enabled) {
+		uint16_t arfcn = lchan->ts->trx->arfcn & 0x3ff;
 		cd->h0.tsc = gsm_ts_tsc(lchan->ts);
 		cd->h0.h = 0;
 		cd->h0.arfcn_high = arfcn >> 8;
@@ -1349,6 +1346,23 @@
 	}
 }
 
+void gsm48_lchan2chan_desc(struct gsm48_chan_desc *cd,
+			   const struct gsm_lchan *lchan)
+{
+	cd->chan_nr = gsm_lchan2chan_nr(lchan);
+	_chan_desc_fill_tail(cd, lchan);
+}
+
+/* like gsm48_lchan2chan_desc() above, but use ts->pchan_from_config to
+ * return a channel description based on what is configured, rather than
+ * what the current state of the pchan type is */
+void gsm48_lchan2chan_desc_as_configured(struct gsm48_chan_desc *cd,
+					 const struct gsm_lchan *lchan)
+{
+	cd->chan_nr = gsm_pchan2chan_nr(lchan->ts->pchan_from_config, lchan->ts->nr, lchan->nr);
+	_chan_desc_fill_tail(cd, lchan);
+}
+
 bool nm_is_running(const struct gsm_nm_state *s) {
 	return (s->operational == NM_OPSTATE_ENABLED) && (
 		(s->availability == NM_AVSTATE_OK) ||