Index: bxl_decode.c
===================================================================
--- bxl_decode.c	(revision 30729)
+++ bxl_decode.c	(revision 30730)
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@
 		/* pad the last byte */
 		while(ctx->out_len == 0)
 			append(ctx, 0);
+		ctx->plain_len++;
 	}
 	ctx->out[ctx->out_len++] = '\r';
 	ctx->out[ctx->out_len++] = '\n';
@@ -308,7 +309,21 @@
 	return ctx->out_len;
 }
 
+int pcb_bxl_encode_len(hdecode_t *ctx)
+{
+	unsigned long int len = ctx->plain_len-1;
+	int n;
 
+	ctx->bitpos = ctx->out_len = 0;
+
+	for(n = 0; n < 32; n++) {
+		append(ctx, len & 1);
+		len >>= 1;
+	}
+	return ctx->out_len;
+}
+
+
 void pcb_bxl_encode_init(hdecode_t *ctx)
 {
 	pcb_bxl_decode_init(ctx);
Index: bxl_decode.h
===================================================================
--- bxl_decode.h	(revision 30729)
+++ bxl_decode.h	(revision 30730)
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@
 int pcb_bxl_encode_char(hdecode_t *ctx, int inchr);
 
 /* Call this at the end of the output stream to flush the last incomplete
-   output byte */
+   output byte. Same return as pcb_bxl_encode_char. */
 int pcb_bxl_encode_eof(hdecode_t *ctx);
 
+/* Call this after pcb_bxl_encode_eof() to generate the "length header" that
+   shall be written at the beginning of the stream. */
+int pcb_bxl_encode_len(hdecode_t *ctx);
+