diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/abis_rsl.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/abis_rsl.h
index f7e2e2a..c34492e 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/abis_rsl.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/abis_rsl.h
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@
 int abis_rsl_rcvmsg(struct msgb *msg);
 
 uint64_t str_to_imsi(const char *imsi_str);
-int rsl_release_request(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, uint8_t link_id, uint8_t reason);
+int rsl_release_request(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, uint8_t link_id,
+			enum rsl_rel_mode release_mode);
 
 int rsl_lchan_set_state(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, int);
 
diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/chan_alloc.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/chan_alloc.h
index f1c890e..f2d3c78 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/chan_alloc.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/chan_alloc.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 void lchan_reset(struct gsm_lchan *lchan);
 
 /* Release the given lchan */
-int lchan_release(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, int sacch_deact, int release_mode);
+int lchan_release(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, int sacch_deact, enum rsl_rel_mode release_mode);
 
 struct load_counter {
 	unsigned int total;
diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data_shared.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data_shared.h
index fda3b09..f81280f 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data_shared.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data_shared.h
@@ -196,8 +196,8 @@
 	uint8_t sapis[8];
 	int sacch_deact;
 
-	/** GSM 08.58 9.3.20 */
-	int release_mode;
+	/* Release handling */
+	enum rsl_rel_mode release_mode;
 
 	struct {
 		uint32_t bound_ip;
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libbsc/abis_rsl.c b/openbsc/src/libbsc/abis_rsl.c
index d365a97..95d5c1e 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libbsc/abis_rsl.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libbsc/abis_rsl.c
@@ -833,7 +833,8 @@
    RELEASE CONFIRM, which we in turn use to trigger RSL CHANNEL RELEASE,
    which in turn is acknowledged by RSL CHANNEL RELEASE ACK, which calls
    lchan_free() */
-int rsl_release_request(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, uint8_t link_id, uint8_t reason)
+int rsl_release_request(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, uint8_t link_id,
+			enum rsl_rel_mode release_mode)
 {
 
 	struct msgb *msg;
@@ -841,14 +842,14 @@
 	msg = rsl_rll_simple(RSL_MT_REL_REQ, gsm_lchan2chan_nr(lchan),
 			     link_id, 0);
 	/* 0 is normal release, 1 is local end */
-	msgb_tv_put(msg, RSL_IE_RELEASE_MODE, reason);
+	msgb_tv_put(msg, RSL_IE_RELEASE_MODE, release_mode);
 
 	/* FIXME: start some timer in case we don't receive a REL ACK ? */
 
 	msg->dst = lchan->ts->trx->rsl_link;
 
 	DEBUGP(DRLL, "%s RSL RLL RELEASE REQ (link_id=0x%02x, reason=%u)\n",
-		gsm_lchan_name(lchan), link_id, reason);
+		gsm_lchan_name(lchan), link_id, release_mode);
 
 	return abis_rsl_sendmsg(msg);
 }
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libbsc/chan_alloc.c b/openbsc/src/libbsc/chan_alloc.c
index 69b2625..fa369a2 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libbsc/chan_alloc.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libbsc/chan_alloc.c
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@
 	}
 
 	lchan->sacch_deact = 0;
-	lchan->release_mode = 0;
+	lchan->release_mode = RSL_REL_NORMAL;
 
 	/* FIXME: ts_free() the timeslot, if we're the last logical
 	 * channel using it */
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@
 }
 
 /* Consider releasing the channel now */
-int lchan_release(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, int sacch_deact, int mode)
+int lchan_release(struct gsm_lchan *lchan, int sacch_deact, enum rsl_rel_mode mode)
 {
 	DEBUGP(DRLL, "%s starting release sequence\n", gsm_lchan_name(lchan));
 	rsl_lchan_set_state(lchan, LCHAN_S_REL_REQ);