diff --git a/src/libmsc/msc_vty.c b/src/libmsc/msc_vty.c
index 2990735..bd369ae 100644
--- a/src/libmsc/msc_vty.c
+++ b/src/libmsc/msc_vty.c
@@ -455,13 +455,24 @@
 }
 
 DEFUN(cfg_msc_check_imei_rqd, cfg_msc_check_imei_rqd_cmd,
-      "check-imei-rqd (0|1)",
+      "check-imei-rqd (0|1|early)",
       "Send each IMEI to the EIR to ask if it is permitted or not. The EIR is implemented as part of OsmoHLR, "
       "and can optionally save the IMEI in the HLR.\n"
       "Do not send IMEIs to the EIR\n"
-      "Send each IMEI to the EIR\n")
+      "Send each IMEI to the EIR\n"
+      "Send each IMEI to the EIR, and do it at the start of the location update. This allows the EIR to receive the"
+      " IMEI, even if the MS would get rejected when the MSC sends the location update request to the HLR.\n")
 {
-	gsmnet->vlr->cfg.check_imei_rqd = atoi(argv[0]) ? true : false;
+	if (strcmp(argv[0], "0") == 0) {
+		gsmnet->vlr->cfg.check_imei_rqd = false;
+		gsmnet->vlr->cfg.retrieve_imeisv_early = false;
+	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "1") == 0) {
+		gsmnet->vlr->cfg.check_imei_rqd = true;
+		gsmnet->vlr->cfg.retrieve_imeisv_early = false;
+	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "early") == 0) {
+		gsmnet->vlr->cfg.check_imei_rqd = true;
+		gsmnet->vlr->cfg.retrieve_imeisv_early = true;
+	}
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -581,9 +592,12 @@
 		vty_out(vty, " auth-tuple-reuse-on-error 1%s",
 			VTY_NEWLINE);
 
-	if (gsmnet->vlr->cfg.check_imei_rqd)
-		vty_out(vty, " check-imei-rqd 1 %s",
-			VTY_NEWLINE);
+	if (gsmnet->vlr->cfg.check_imei_rqd) {
+		if (gsmnet->vlr->cfg.retrieve_imeisv_early)
+			vty_out(vty, " check-imei-rqd early%s", VTY_NEWLINE);
+		else
+			vty_out(vty, " check-imei-rqd 1%s", VTY_NEWLINE);
+	}
 
 	if (gsmnet->paging_response_timer != MSC_PAGING_RESPONSE_TIMER_DEFAULT)
 		vty_out(vty, " paging response-timer %u%s", gsmnet->paging_response_timer, VTY_NEWLINE);
diff --git a/tests/test_nodes.vty b/tests/test_nodes.vty
index 28eaefb..cdb3f8a 100644
--- a/tests/test_nodes.vty
+++ b/tests/test_nodes.vty
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
   no assign-tmsi
   auth-tuple-max-reuse-count <-1-2147483647>
   auth-tuple-reuse-on-error (0|1)
-  check-imei-rqd (0|1)
+  check-imei-rqd (0|1|early)
   cs7-instance-a <0-15>
   cs7-instance-iu <0-15>
   paging response-timer (default|<1-65535>)