diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index c057ce493..8cb72de8b 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ int recursive_action(const char *fileName, int recurse, int followLinks, int dep
 	  void* userData);
 
 extern int parse_mode( const char* s, mode_t* theMode);
+extern long bb_xgetlarg(char *arg, int base, long lower, long upper);
 
 extern int get_kernel_revision(void);
 
diff --git a/libbb/Makefile.in b/libbb/Makefile.in
index 08f8028d9..09c629eca 100644
--- a/libbb/Makefile.in
+++ b/libbb/Makefile.in
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ LIBBB_SRC:= \
 	setup_environment.c simplify_path.c syscalls.c syslog_msg_with_name.c \
 	time_string.c trim.c u_signal_names.c vdprintf.c verror_msg.c \
 	vherror_msg.c vperror_msg.c wfopen.c xconnect.c xgetcwd.c xfuncs.c \
-	xgethostbyname.c xgethostbyname2.c xreadlink.c xregcomp.c 
+	xgethostbyname.c xgethostbyname2.c xreadlink.c xregcomp.c bb_xgetlarg.c 
 	
 
 LIBBB_OBJS=$(patsubst %.c,$(LIBBB_DIR)%.o, $(LIBBB_SRC))
diff --git a/libbb/bb_xgetlarg.c b/libbb/bb_xgetlarg.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..598b0b3d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libbb/bb_xgetlarg.c
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/* vi: set sw=4 ts=4: */
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2003 Erik Andersen <andersee@debian.org>
+ */
+
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <getopt.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
+#include "busybox.h"
+
+extern long bb_xgetlarg(char *arg, int base, long lower, long upper)
+{
+	long result;
+	char *endptr;
+	int errno_save = errno;
+
+	assert(arg!=NULL);
+	errno = 0;
+	result = strtol(arg, &endptr, base);
+	if (errno != 0 || *endptr!='\0' || result < lower || result > upper)
+		show_usage();
+	errno = errno_save;
+	return result;
+}