diff --git a/include/osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h b/include/osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h
index 7eda5b9fb..fe5903dbb 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ static inline int rach_max_trans_raw2val(int raw) {
 #define	ARFCN_UPLINK	0x4000
 #define	ARFCN_FLAG_MASK	0xf000	/* Reserve the upper 5 bits for flags */
 
-enum gsm_band gsm_arfcn2band(uint16_t arfcn);
+int gsm_arfcn2band_rc(uint16_t arfcn, enum gsm_band *band);
+enum gsm_band gsm_arfcn2band(uint16_t arfcn) OSMO_DEPRECATED("Use gsm_arfcn2band_rc() instead");
 
 /* Convert an ARFCN to the frequency in MHz * 10 */
 uint16_t gsm_arfcn2freq10(uint16_t arfcn, int uplink);
diff --git a/src/gsm/gsm_utils.c b/src/gsm/gsm_utils.c
index 7e6c7947b..8b4b55866 100644
--- a/src/gsm/gsm_utils.c
+++ b/src/gsm/gsm_utils.c
@@ -706,36 +706,61 @@ enum gsm_band gsm_band_parse(const char* mhz)
 	}
 }
 
-/*! Resolve GSM band from ARFCN
+/*! Resolve GSM band from ARFCN.
  *  In Osmocom, we use the highest bit of the \a arfcn to indicate PCS
  *  \param[in] arfcn Osmocom ARFCN, highest bit determines PCS mode
- *  \returns GSM Band */
-enum gsm_band gsm_arfcn2band(uint16_t arfcn)
+ *  \param[out] band GSM Band containing \arfcn if arfcn is valid, undetermined otherwise
+ *  \returns 0 if arfcn is valid and \a band was set, negative on error */
+int gsm_arfcn2band_rc(uint16_t arfcn, enum gsm_band *band)
 {
 	int is_pcs = arfcn & ARFCN_PCS;
 
 	arfcn &= ~ARFCN_FLAG_MASK;
 
-	if (is_pcs)
-		return GSM_BAND_1900;
-	else if (arfcn <= 124)
-		return GSM_BAND_900;
-	else if (arfcn >= 955 && arfcn <= 1023)
-		return GSM_BAND_900;
-	else if (arfcn >= 128 && arfcn <= 251)
-		return GSM_BAND_850;
-	else if (arfcn >= 512 && arfcn <= 885)
-		return GSM_BAND_1800;
-	else if (arfcn >= 259 && arfcn <= 293)
-		return GSM_BAND_450;
-	else if (arfcn >= 306 && arfcn <= 340)
-		return GSM_BAND_480;
-	else if (arfcn >= 350 && arfcn <= 425)
-		return GSM_BAND_810;
-	else if (arfcn >= 438 && arfcn <= 511)
-		return GSM_BAND_750;
-	else
-		return GSM_BAND_1800;
+	if (is_pcs) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_1900;
+		return 0;
+	} else if (arfcn <= 124) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_900;
+		return 0;
+	} else if (arfcn >= 955 && arfcn <= 1023) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_900;
+		return 0;
+	} else if (arfcn >= 128 && arfcn <= 251) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_850;
+		return 0;
+	} else if (arfcn >= 512 && arfcn <= 885) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_1800;
+		return 0;
+	} else if (arfcn >= 259 && arfcn <= 293) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_450;
+		return 0;
+	} else if (arfcn >= 306 && arfcn <= 340) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_480;
+		return 0;
+	} else if (arfcn >= 350 && arfcn <= 425) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_810;
+		return 0;
+	} else if (arfcn >= 438 && arfcn <= 511) {
+		*band = GSM_BAND_750;
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+
+/*! Resolve GSM band from ARFCN, aborts process on invalid ARFCN.
+ *  In Osmocom, we use the highest bit of the \a arfcn to indicate PCS.
+ *  DEPRECATED: Use gsm_arfcn2band_rc instead.
+ *  \param[in] arfcn Osmocom ARFCN, highest bit determines PCS mode
+ *  \returns GSM Band if ARFCN is valid (part of any valid band), aborts otherwise */
+enum gsm_band gsm_arfcn2band(uint16_t arfcn)
+{
+	enum gsm_band band;
+	if (gsm_arfcn2band_rc(arfcn, &band) == 0)
+		return band;
+
+	osmo_panic("%s:%d Invalid arfcn %" PRIu16 " passed to gsm_arfcn2band\n",
+		   __FILE__, __LINE__, arfcn);
 }
 
 struct gsm_freq_range {
diff --git a/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map b/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
index 217dcc39d..3fe9dfcfb 100644
--- a/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
+++ b/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
@@ -349,6 +349,7 @@ gsm_7bit_decode_n_hdr;
 gsm_7bit_encode_n;
 gsm_7bit_encode_n_ussd;
 
+gsm_arfcn2band_rc;
 gsm_arfcn2band;
 gsm_arfcn2freq10;
 gsm_freq102arfcn;
diff --git a/utils/osmo-arfcn.c b/utils/osmo-arfcn.c
index 61108f8d7..aee132c7d 100644
--- a/utils/osmo-arfcn.c
+++ b/utils/osmo-arfcn.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ static int arfcn2freq(int arfcn)
 static int freq2arfcn(int freq10, int uplink)
 {
 	uint16_t arfcn;
+	enum gsm_band band;
 
 	if (uplink != 0 && uplink != 1) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Need to specify uplink or downlink\n");
@@ -75,8 +76,13 @@ static int freq2arfcn(int freq10, int uplink)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	if (gsm_arfcn2band_rc(arfcn, &band) < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "ARFCN contains no valid band\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	printf("%s: ARFCN %4d\n",
-		gsm_band_name(gsm_arfcn2band(arfcn)),
+		gsm_band_name(band),
 		arfcn & ~ARFCN_FLAG_MASK);
 	return 0;
 }