diff --git a/openbsc/src/gprs/gprs_subscriber.c b/openbsc/src/gprs/gprs_subscriber.c
index 54a61611..e4dda9c4 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/gprs/gprs_subscriber.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/gprs/gprs_subscriber.c
@@ -439,13 +439,24 @@ static int gprs_subscr_handle_loc_cancel_req(struct gsm_subscriber *subscr,
 					     struct gprs_gsup_message *gsup_msg)
 {
 	struct gprs_gsup_message gsup_reply = {0};
+	int is_update_procedure = !gsup_msg->cancel_type || gsup_msg->cancel_type;
 
-	LOGGSUBSCRP(LOGL_INFO, subscr, "purging MS subscriber\n");
+	LOGGSUBSCRP(LOGL_INFO, subscr, "Cancelling MS subscriber (%s)\n",
+		    is_update_procedure ?
+		    "update procedure" : "subscription withdraw");
 
 	gsup_reply.message_type = GPRS_GSUP_MSGT_LOCATION_CANCEL_RESULT;
 	gprs_subscr_tx_gsup_message(subscr, &gsup_reply);
 
-	subscr->sgsn_data->error_cause = SGSN_ERROR_CAUSE_NONE;
+	if (is_update_procedure)
+		subscr->sgsn_data->error_cause = SGSN_ERROR_CAUSE_NONE;
+	else
+		/* Since a withdraw cause is not specified, just abort the
+		 * current attachment. The following re-attachment should then
+		 * be rejected with a proper cause value.
+		 */
+		subscr->sgsn_data->error_cause = GMM_CAUSE_IMPL_DETACHED;
+
 	gprs_subscr_cancel(subscr);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/openbsc/src/gprs/sgsn_vty.c b/openbsc/src/gprs/sgsn_vty.c
index 1ecb2eae..ba71555e 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/gprs/sgsn_vty.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/gprs/sgsn_vty.c
@@ -545,11 +545,14 @@ failed:
 }
 
 DEFUN(update_subscr_cancel, update_subscr_cancel_cmd,
-	UPDATE_SUBSCR_STR "cancel",
+	UPDATE_SUBSCR_STR "cancel (update-procedure|subscription-withdraw)",
 	UPDATE_SUBSCR_HELP
-	"Cancel (remove) subscriber record\n")
+	"Cancel (remove) subscriber record\n"
+	"The MS moved to another SGSN\n"
+	"The subscription is no longer valid\n")
 {
 	const char *imsi = argv[0];
+	const char *cancel_type = argv[1];
 
 	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr;
 
@@ -560,6 +563,11 @@ DEFUN(update_subscr_cancel, update_subscr_cancel_cmd,
 		return CMD_WARNING;
 	}
 
+	if (strcmp(cancel_type, "update-procedure") == 0)
+		subscr->sgsn_data->error_cause = SGSN_ERROR_CAUSE_NONE;
+	else
+		subscr->sgsn_data->error_cause = GMM_CAUSE_IMPL_DETACHED;
+
 	gprs_subscr_cancel(subscr);
 	subscr_put(subscr);
 
@@ -606,6 +614,7 @@ DEFUN(update_subscr_destroy, update_subscr_destroy_cmd,
 	}
 
 	subscr->keep_in_ram = 0;
+	subscr->sgsn_data->error_cause = SGSN_ERROR_CAUSE_NONE;
 	gprs_subscr_cancel(subscr);
 	if (subscr->use_count > 1)
 		vty_out(vty, "%% subscriber is still in use%s",
diff --git a/openbsc/tests/vty_test_runner.py b/openbsc/tests/vty_test_runner.py
index de6a708c..4adc8e8e 100644
--- a/openbsc/tests/vty_test_runner.py
+++ b/openbsc/tests/vty_test_runner.py
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ class TestVTYSGSN(TestVTYGenericBSC):
         res = self.vty.command('show subscriber cache')
         self.assert_(res.find('1234567890') >= 0)
         self.assert_(res.find('Authorized: 1') >= 0)
-        self.assertTrue(self.vty.verify('update-subscriber imsi 1234567890 cancel', ['']))
+        self.assertTrue(self.vty.verify('update-subscriber imsi 1234567890 cancel update-procedure', ['']))
         res = self.vty.command('show subscriber cache')
         self.assert_(res.find('1234567890') >= 0)
         self.assertTrue(self.vty.verify('update-subscriber imsi 1234567890 destroy', ['']))