diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
index 918f307..495f741 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@
 	/* Cell Identity */
 	u_int16_t cell_identity;
 	/* location area code of this BTS */
-	u_int8_t location_area_code;
+	u_int16_t location_area_code;
 	/* Training Sequence Code */
 	u_int8_t tsc;
 	/* Base Station Identification Code (BSIC) */
diff --git a/openbsc/src/vty_interface.c b/openbsc/src/vty_interface.c
index b6a9dea..79124d9 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/vty_interface.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/vty_interface.c
@@ -861,14 +861,14 @@
 
 DEFUN(cfg_bts_lac,
       cfg_bts_lac_cmd,
-      "location_area_code <0-255>",
+      "location_area_code <0-65535>",
       "Set the Location Area Code (LAC) of this BTS\n")
 {
 	struct gsm_bts *bts = vty->index;
 	int lac = atoi(argv[0]);
 
-	if (lac < 0 || lac > 0xff) {
-		vty_out(vty, "%% LAC %d is not in the valid range (0-255)%s",
+	if (lac < 0 || lac > 0xffff) {
+		vty_out(vty, "%% LAC %d is not in the valid range (0-65535)%s",
 			lac, VTY_NEWLINE);
 		return CMD_WARNING;
 	}