diff --git a/src/libmsc/gsm_04_08_cc.c b/src/libmsc/gsm_04_08_cc.c
index 19e6cba..f9888d7 100644
--- a/src/libmsc/gsm_04_08_cc.c
+++ b/src/libmsc/gsm_04_08_cc.c
@@ -73,6 +73,43 @@
 
 static uint32_t new_callref = 0x80000001;
 
+static void gsm48_cc_guard_timeout(void *arg)
+{
+	struct gsm_trans *trans = arg;
+	DEBUGP(DCC, "(sub %s) guard timeout expired\n",
+	       vlr_subscr_msisdn_or_name(trans->vsub));
+	trans_free(trans);
+	return;
+}
+
+static void gsm48_stop_guard_timer(struct gsm_trans *trans)
+{
+	if (osmo_timer_pending(&trans->cc.timer_guard)) {
+		DEBUGP(DCC, "(sub %s) stopping pending guard timer\n",
+		       vlr_subscr_msisdn_or_name(trans->vsub));
+		osmo_timer_del(&trans->cc.timer_guard);
+	}
+}
+
+static void gsm48_start_guard_timer(struct gsm_trans *trans)
+{
+	/* NOTE: The purpose of this timer is to prevent the cc state machine
+	 * from hanging in cases where mncc, gsm48 or both become unresponsive
+	 * for some reason. The timer is started initially with the setup from
+	 * the gsm48 side and then re-started with every incoming mncc message.
+	 * Once the mncc state reaches its active state the timer is stopped.
+	 * So if the cc state machine does not show any activity for an
+	 * extended amount of time during call setup or teardown the guard
+	 * timer will time out and hard-clear the connection. */
+	if (osmo_timer_pending(&trans->cc.timer_guard))
+		gsm48_stop_guard_timer(trans);
+	DEBUGP(DCC, "(sub %s) starting guard timer with %d seconds\n",
+	       vlr_subscr_msisdn_or_name(trans->vsub),
+	       trans->net->mncc_guard_timeout);
+	osmo_timer_setup(&trans->cc.timer_guard, gsm48_cc_guard_timeout, trans);
+	osmo_timer_schedule(&trans->cc.timer_guard,
+			    trans->net->mncc_guard_timeout, 0);
+}
 
 /* Call Control */
 
@@ -149,6 +186,10 @@
 
 	count_statistics(trans, state);
 	trans->cc.state = state;
+
+	/* Stop the guard timer when a call reaches the active state */
+	if (state == GSM_CSTATE_ACTIVE)
+		gsm48_stop_guard_timer(trans);
 }
 
 static int gsm48_cc_tx_status(struct gsm_trans *trans, void *arg)
@@ -259,6 +300,8 @@
 	}
 	if (trans->cc.state != GSM_CSTATE_NULL)
 		new_cc_state(trans, GSM_CSTATE_NULL);
+
+	gsm48_stop_guard_timer(trans);
 }
 
 static int gsm48_cc_tx_setup(struct gsm_trans *trans, void *arg);
@@ -474,6 +517,8 @@
 	struct tlv_parsed tp;
 	struct gsm_mncc setup;
 
+	gsm48_start_guard_timer(trans);
+
 	memset(&setup, 0, sizeof(struct gsm_mncc));
 	setup.callref = trans->callref;
 
@@ -1970,6 +2015,8 @@
 		log_set_context(LOG_CTX_VLR_SUBSCR, trans->vsub);
 	}
 
+	gsm48_start_guard_timer(trans);
+
 	if (trans->conn)
 		conn = trans->conn;
 
diff --git a/src/libmsc/msc_vty.c b/src/libmsc/msc_vty.c
index fe6ae88..a16cec8 100644
--- a/src/libmsc/msc_vty.c
+++ b/src/libmsc/msc_vty.c
@@ -333,6 +333,16 @@
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+DEFUN(cfg_msc_mncc_guard_timeout,
+      cfg_msc_mncc_guard_timeout_cmd,
+      "mncc-guard-timeout <0-255>",
+      "Set global guard timer for mncc interface activity\n"
+      "guard timer value (sec.)")
+{
+	gsmnet->mncc_guard_timeout = atoi(argv[0]);
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 DEFUN(cfg_msc_assign_tmsi, cfg_msc_assign_tmsi_cmd,
       "assign-tmsi",
       "Assign TMSI during Location Updating.\n")
@@ -421,6 +431,8 @@
 static int config_write_msc(struct vty *vty)
 {
 	vty_out(vty, "msc%s", VTY_NEWLINE);
+	vty_out(vty, " mncc-guard-timeout %i%s",
+		gsmnet->mncc_guard_timeout, VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " %sassign-tmsi%s",
 		gsmnet->vlr->cfg.assign_tmsi? "" : "no ", VTY_NEWLINE);
 
@@ -1415,6 +1427,7 @@
 	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &cfg_msc_cmd);
 	install_node(&msc_node, config_write_msc);
 	install_element(MSC_NODE, &cfg_msc_assign_tmsi_cmd);
+	install_element(MSC_NODE, &cfg_msc_mncc_guard_timeout_cmd);
 	install_element(MSC_NODE, &cfg_msc_no_assign_tmsi_cmd);
 	install_element(MSC_NODE, &cfg_msc_auth_tuple_max_reuse_count_cmd);
 	install_element(MSC_NODE, &cfg_msc_auth_tuple_reuse_on_error_cmd);
diff --git a/src/libmsc/osmo_msc.c b/src/libmsc/osmo_msc.c
index 3965e9b..c9ecb64 100644
--- a/src/libmsc/osmo_msc.c
+++ b/src/libmsc/osmo_msc.c
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 	/* Use 30 min periodic update interval as sane default */
 	net->t3212 = 5;
 
+	net->mncc_guard_timeout = 180;
+
 	net->paging_response_timer = MSC_PAGING_RESPONSE_TIMER_DEFAULT;
 
 	INIT_LLIST_HEAD(&net->trans_list);