diff --git a/src/iec61850/client/ied_connection.c b/src/iec61850/client/ied_connection.c
index 3ca81e11..68af0400 100644
--- a/src/iec61850/client/ied_connection.c
+++ b/src/iec61850/client/ied_connection.c
@@ -1332,6 +1332,30 @@ IedConnection_readUnsigned32Value(IedConnection self, IedClientError* error, con
     return retVal;
 }
 
+uint32_t
+IedConnection_readBitStringAsIntegerBigEndian(IedConnection self, IedClientError* error, const char* objectReference, FunctionalConstraint fc)
+{
+    MmsValue* value = IedConnection_readObject(self, error, objectReference, fc);
+
+    if (value != NULL) {
+        if(MmsValue_getType(value) == MMS_BIT_STRING)
+        {
+            return MmsValue_getBitStringAsIntegerBigEndian(value);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            if (MmsValue_getType(value) == MMS_DATA_ACCESS_ERROR)
+                *error = iedConnection_mapDataAccessErrorToIedError(MmsValue_getDataAccessError(value));
+            else
+                *error = IED_ERROR_UNEXPECTED_VALUE_RECEIVED;
+        }
+
+        MmsValue_delete(value);
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int64_t
 IedConnection_readInt64Value(IedConnection self, IedClientError* error, const char* objectReference, FunctionalConstraint fc)
 {
@@ -3827,4 +3851,3 @@ FileDirectoryEntry_getLastModified(FileDirectoryEntry self)
 {
     return self->lastModified;
 }
-
diff --git a/src/iec61850/inc/iec61850_client.h b/src/iec61850/inc/iec61850_client.h
index ffe8ff1f..c00255ed 100644
--- a/src/iec61850/inc/iec61850_client.h
+++ b/src/iec61850/inc/iec61850_client.h
@@ -930,6 +930,20 @@ IedConnection_readStringValue(IedConnection self, IedClientError* error, const c
 LIB61850_API int32_t
 IedConnection_readInt32Value(IedConnection self, IedClientError* error, const char* objectReference, FunctionalConstraint fc);
 
+
+/**
+ * \brief read a functional constrained data attribute (FCDA) of type BitString (BigEndian) and return the result as uint32_t
+ *
+ * \param self  the connection object to operate on
+ * \param error the error code if an error occurs
+ * \param object reference of the data attribute to read
+ * \param fc the functional constraint of the data attribute to read
+ *
+ * \return an uint32_t value of the read data attributes
+ */
+uint32_t
+IedConnection_readBitStringAsIntegerBigEndian(IedConnection self, IedClientError* error, const char* objectReference, FunctionalConstraint fc);
+
 /**
  * \brief read a functional constrained data attribute (FCDA) of type Integer or Unsigned and return the result as int64_t
  *