diff --git a/libsepol/include/sepol/policydb/ebitmap.h b/libsepol/include/sepol/policydb/ebitmap.h
index 910834dd..634436f6 100644
--- a/libsepol/include/sepol/policydb/ebitmap.h
+++ b/libsepol/include/sepol/policydb/ebitmap.h
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ extern int ebitmap_contains(const ebitmap_t * e1, const ebitmap_t * e2);
 extern int ebitmap_match_any(const ebitmap_t *e1, const ebitmap_t *e2);
 extern int ebitmap_get_bit(const ebitmap_t * e, unsigned int bit);
 extern int ebitmap_set_bit(ebitmap_t * e, unsigned int bit, int value);
+extern unsigned int ebitmap_highest_set_bit(ebitmap_t * e);
 extern void ebitmap_destroy(ebitmap_t * e);
 extern int ebitmap_read(ebitmap_t * e, void *fp);
 
diff --git a/libsepol/src/ebitmap.c b/libsepol/src/ebitmap.c
index 963b8080..7f425349 100644
--- a/libsepol/src/ebitmap.c
+++ b/libsepol/src/ebitmap.c
@@ -344,6 +344,26 @@ int ebitmap_set_bit(ebitmap_t * e, unsigned int bit, int value)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+unsigned int ebitmap_highest_set_bit(ebitmap_t * e)
+{
+	ebitmap_node_t *n;
+	MAPTYPE map;
+	unsigned int pos = 0;
+
+	n = e->node;
+	if (!n)
+		return 0;
+
+	while (n->next)
+		n = n->next;
+
+	map = n->map;
+	while (map >>= 1)
+		pos++;
+
+	return n->startbit + pos;
+}
+
 void ebitmap_destroy(ebitmap_t * e)
 {
 	ebitmap_node_t *n, *temp;