diff --git a/src/grib_accessor_class_long.c b/src/grib_accessor_class_long.c
index 8c12b4a18..ef32cb706 100644
--- a/src/grib_accessor_class_long.c
+++ b/src/grib_accessor_class_long.c
@@ -294,8 +294,7 @@ static int compare(grib_accessor* a, grib_accessor* b)
 
 static int pack_string(grib_accessor* a, const char* val, size_t* len)
 {
-    char* theEnd = NULL;
-    long v = 0;
+    long v = 0; /* The converted value */
 
 #if 0
     /* Requires more work e.g. filter */
@@ -304,9 +303,9 @@ static int pack_string(grib_accessor* a, const char* val, size_t* len)
     }
 #endif
 
-    v = strtol(val, &theEnd, 10);
-    if (theEnd) {
-        grib_context_log(a->context, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "trying to pack \"%s\" as long", val);
+    if (string_to_long(val, &v) != GRIB_SUCCESS) {
+        grib_context_log(a->context, GRIB_LOG_ERROR,
+                "Trying to pack \"%s\" as long. String cannot be converted to an integer", val);
         return GRIB_WRONG_TYPE;
     }
     return grib_pack_long(a, &v, len);
diff --git a/tests/bufr_set.sh b/tests/bufr_set.sh
index 640b4f886..6dd5ea629 100755
--- a/tests/bufr_set.sh
+++ b/tests/bufr_set.sh
@@ -173,9 +173,16 @@ ${tools_dir}/bufr_set -s ident=' AB CD ' $f $fBufrTmp
 result=`${tools_dir}/bufr_get -p ident $fBufrTmp`
 [ "$result" = "AB CD" ]
 
-
 # ${tools_dir}/bufr_compare $f $fBufrTmp
 
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------
+# ECC-1359: string that can be converted to an integer
+# ----------------------------------------------------------
+${tools_dir}/bufr_set -s messageLength:s=333 $ECCODES_SAMPLES_PATH/BUFR4_local.tmpl $fBufrTmp
+result=`${tools_dir}/bufr_get -p messageLength $fBufrTmp`
+[ "$result" = "333" ]
+
 # Clean up
 rm -f $fLog 
 rm -f $fBufrTmp
diff --git a/tests/grib_set.sh b/tests/grib_set.sh
index 8f2b7945d..d461fb774 100755
--- a/tests/grib_set.sh
+++ b/tests/grib_set.sh
@@ -110,5 +110,9 @@ max=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -F%.3f -p max $input`
 max=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -F%.3f -p max $temp`
 [ "$max" = "13.097" ]
 
+# ECC-1359: string that can be converted to an integer
+# ---------------------------------------------------
+${tools_dir}/grib_set -s month:s=6 $ECCODES_SAMPLES_PATH/GRIB2.tmpl $temp
+grib_check_key_equals $temp month 6
 
 rm -f $outfile $temp