diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_04_08.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_04_08.h
index fe19ff441..a8b2de958 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_04_08.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_04_08.h
@@ -26,20 +26,6 @@ static inline struct msgb *gsm48_msgb_alloc_name(const char *name)
 				   name);
 }
 
-static inline int get_radio_link_timeout(struct gsm48_cell_options *cell_options)
-{
-	return (cell_options->radio_link_timeout + 1) << 2;
-}
-
-static inline void set_radio_link_timeout(struct gsm48_cell_options *cell_options, int value)
-{
-	if (value < 4)
-		value = 4;
-	if (value > 64)
-		value = 64;
-	cell_options->radio_link_timeout = (value >> 2) - 1;
-}
-
 /* config options controlling the behaviour of the lower leves */
 void gsm0408_allow_everyone(int allow);
 void gsm0408_clear_request(struct gsm_subscriber_connection *conn, uint32_t cause);
diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
index 5ab7c3fbd..a97405105 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
@@ -590,4 +590,7 @@ void bts_depend_clear(struct gsm_bts *bts, int dep);
 int bts_depend_check(struct gsm_bts *bts);
 int bts_depend_is_depedency(struct gsm_bts *base, struct gsm_bts *other);
 
+int gsm_bts_get_radio_link_timeout(const struct gsm_bts *bts);
+void gsm_bts_set_radio_link_timeout(struct gsm_bts *bts, int value);
+
 #endif /* _GSM_DATA_H */
diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data_shared.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data_shared.h
index d3fd75700..4c71a075e 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data_shared.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data_shared.h
@@ -872,6 +872,8 @@ struct gsm_bts {
 		} data;
 	} si_common;
 	bool early_classmark_allowed;
+	/* for testing only: Have an infinitely long radio link timeout */
+	bool infinite_radio_link_timeout;
 
 	/* do we use static (user-defined) system information messages? (bitmask) */
 	uint32_t si_mode_static;
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libbsc/bsc_vty.c b/openbsc/src/libbsc/bsc_vty.c
index 2fc39ab4c..9fc289503 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libbsc/bsc_vty.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libbsc/bsc_vty.c
@@ -604,9 +604,11 @@ static void config_write_bts_single(struct vty *vty, struct gsm_bts *bts)
 		vty_out(vty, "  periodic location update %u%s",
 			bts->si_common.chan_desc.t3212 * 6, VTY_NEWLINE);
 
-	vty_out(vty, "  radio-link-timeout %d%s",
-		get_radio_link_timeout(&bts->si_common.cell_options),
-		VTY_NEWLINE);
+	if (gsm_bts_get_radio_link_timeout(bts) < 0)
+		vty_out(vty, "  radio-link-timeout infinite%s", VTY_NEWLINE);
+	else
+		vty_out(vty, "  radio-link-timeout %d%s",
+			gsm_bts_get_radio_link_timeout(bts), VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, "  channel allocator %s%s",
 		bts->chan_alloc_reverse ? "descending" : "ascending",
 		VTY_NEWLINE);
@@ -2299,7 +2301,25 @@ DEFUN(cfg_bts_radio_link_timeout, cfg_bts_radio_link_timeout_cmd,
 {
 	struct gsm_bts *bts = vty->index;
 
-	set_radio_link_timeout(&bts->si_common.cell_options, atoi(argv[0]));
+	gsm_bts_set_radio_link_timeout(bts, atoi(argv[0]));
+
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+DEFUN(cfg_bts_radio_link_timeout_inf, cfg_bts_radio_link_timeout_inf_cmd,
+	"radio-link-timeout infinite",
+	"Radio link timeout criterion (BTS side)\n"
+	"Infinite Radio link timeout value (use only for BTS RF testing)\n")
+{
+	struct gsm_bts *bts = vty->index;
+
+	if (bts->type != GSM_BTS_TYPE_OSMOBTS) {
+		vty_out(vty, "%% infinite radio link timeout not supported by this BTS%s", VTY_NEWLINE);
+		return CMD_WARNING;
+	}
+
+	vty_out(vty, "%% INFINITE RADIO LINK TIMEOUT, USE ONLY FOR BTS RF TESTING%s", VTY_NEWLINE);
+	gsm_bts_set_radio_link_timeout(bts, -1);
 
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
@@ -4180,6 +4200,7 @@ int bsc_vty_init(struct gsm_network *network)
 	install_element(BTS_NODE, &cfg_bts_penalty_time_cmd);
 	install_element(BTS_NODE, &cfg_bts_penalty_time_rsvd_cmd);
 	install_element(BTS_NODE, &cfg_bts_radio_link_timeout_cmd);
+	install_element(BTS_NODE, &cfg_bts_radio_link_timeout_inf_cmd);
 	install_element(BTS_NODE, &cfg_bts_gprs_mode_cmd);
 	install_element(BTS_NODE, &cfg_bts_gprs_11bit_rach_support_for_egprs_cmd);
 	install_element(BTS_NODE, &cfg_bts_gprs_ns_timer_cmd);
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libbsc/bts_ipaccess_nanobts_omlattr.c b/openbsc/src/libbsc/bts_ipaccess_nanobts_omlattr.c
index 0291129d0..473e1caea 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libbsc/bts_ipaccess_nanobts_omlattr.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libbsc/bts_ipaccess_nanobts_omlattr.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ struct msgb *nanobts_attr_bts_get(struct gsm_bts *bts)
 {
 	struct msgb *msgb;
 	uint8_t buf[256];
+	int rlt;
 	msgb = msgb_alloc(1024, "nanobts_attr_bts");
 
 	memcpy(buf, "\x55\x5b\x61\x67\x6d\x73", 6);
@@ -46,9 +47,16 @@ struct msgb *nanobts_attr_bts_get(struct gsm_bts *bts)
 	/* interference avg. period in numbers of SACCH multifr */
 	msgb_tv_put(msgb, NM_ATT_INTAVE_PARAM, 0x06);
 
-	/* conn fail based on SACCH error rate */
-	buf[0] = 0x01;
-	buf[1] = get_radio_link_timeout(&bts->si_common.cell_options);
+	rlt = gsm_bts_get_radio_link_timeout(bts);
+	if (rlt == -1) {
+		/* Osmocom extension: Use infinite radio link timeout */
+		buf[0] = 0xFF;
+		buf[1] = 0x00;
+	} else {
+		/* conn fail based on SACCH error rate */
+		buf[0] = 0x01;
+		buf[1] = rlt;
+	}
 	msgb_tl16v_put(msgb, NM_ATT_CONN_FAIL_CRIT, 2, buf);
 
 	memcpy(buf, "\x1e\x24\x24\xa8\x34\x21\xa8", 7);
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libcommon/gsm_data.c b/openbsc/src/libcommon/gsm_data.c
index 8830ce144..db7de082d 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libcommon/gsm_data.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libcommon/gsm_data.c
@@ -323,8 +323,7 @@ struct gsm_bts *gsm_bts_alloc_register(struct gsm_network *net, enum gsm_bts_typ
 	bts->si_common.chan_desc.bs_pa_mfrms = RSL_BS_PA_MFRMS_5; /* paging frames */
 	bts->si_common.chan_desc.bs_ag_blks_res = 1; /* reserved AGCH blocks */
 	bts->si_common.chan_desc.t3212 = 5; /* Use 30 min periodic update interval as sane default */
-	set_radio_link_timeout(&bts->si_common.cell_options, 32);
-				/* Use RADIO LINK TIMEOUT of 32 seconds */
+	gsm_bts_set_radio_link_timeout(bts, 32); /* Use RADIO LINK TIMEOUT of 32 */
 
 	llist_add_tail(&bts->list, &net->bts_list);
 
@@ -435,3 +434,40 @@ int bts_depend_check(struct gsm_bts *bts)
 	}
 	return 1;
 }
+
+/* get the radio link timeout (based on SACCH decode errors, according
+ * to algorithm specified in TS 05.08 section 5.2.  A value of -1
+ * indicates we should use an infinitely long timeout, which only works
+ * with OsmoBTS as the BTS implementation */
+int gsm_bts_get_radio_link_timeout(const struct gsm_bts *bts)
+{
+	const struct gsm48_cell_options *cell_options = &bts->si_common.cell_options;
+
+	if (bts->infinite_radio_link_timeout)
+		return -1;
+	else {
+		/* Encoding as per Table 10.5.21 of TS 04.08 */
+		return (cell_options->radio_link_timeout + 1) << 2;
+	}
+}
+
+/* set the radio link timeout (based on SACCH decode errors, according
+ * to algorithm specified in TS 05.08 Section 5.2.  A value of -1
+ * indicates we should use an infinitely long timeout, which only works
+ * with OsmoBTS as the BTS implementation */
+void gsm_bts_set_radio_link_timeout(struct gsm_bts *bts, int value)
+{
+	struct gsm48_cell_options *cell_options = &bts->si_common.cell_options;
+
+	if (value < 0)
+		bts->infinite_radio_link_timeout = true;
+	else {
+		bts->infinite_radio_link_timeout = false;
+		/* Encoding as per Table 10.5.21 of TS 04.08 */
+		if (value < 4)
+			value = 4;
+		if (value > 64)
+			value = 64;
+		cell_options->radio_link_timeout = (value >> 2) - 1;
+	}
+}