diff --git a/src/grib_api.h b/src/grib_api.h
index 5a8dcfc9d..fa9763e55 100644
--- a/src/grib_api.h
+++ b/src/grib_api.h
@@ -1497,14 +1497,15 @@ typedef struct grib_util_grid_spec2 {
 
 } grib_util_grid_spec2;
 
-#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_SAME_AS_INPUT      0
-#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_SPECTRAL_COMPLEX 1
-#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_SPECTRAL_SIMPLE    2
-#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_JPEG    3
-#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_COMPLEX    4
-#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SIMPLE    5
-#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SIMPLE_MATRIX    6
-#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SECOND_ORDER    7
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_SAME_AS_INPUT       0
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_SPECTRAL_COMPLEX    1
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_SPECTRAL_SIMPLE     2
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_JPEG                3
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_COMPLEX        4
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SIMPLE         5
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SIMPLE_MATRIX  6
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SECOND_ORDER   7
+#define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_CCSDS               8
 
 #define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_SAME_AS_INPUT    	0
 #define GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_USE_PROVIDED  	1
diff --git a/src/grib_util.c b/src/grib_util.c
index 63c7f3a03..b5bd0db27 100644
--- a/src/grib_util.c
+++ b/src/grib_util.c
@@ -857,6 +857,7 @@ grib_handle* grib_util_set_spec2(grib_handle* h,
     int packingTypeIsSet=0;
     int setSecondOrder=0;
     int setJpegPacking=0;
+    int setCcsdsPacking=0;
     int convertEditionEarlier=0;/* For cases when we cannot set some keys without converting */
     size_t slen=17;
     int grib1_high_resolution_fix = 0; /* boolean: See GRIB-863 */
@@ -925,6 +926,10 @@ grib_handle* grib_util_set_spec2(grib_handle* h,
                 if (strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_jpeg") && !strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_simple"))
                     SET_STRING_VALUE("packingType","grid_jpeg");
                 break;
+            case GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_CCSDS:
+                if (strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_ccsds") && !strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_simple"))
+                    SET_STRING_VALUE("packingType","grid_ccsds");
+                break;
             case GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SECOND_ORDER:
                 /* we delay the set of grid_second_order because we don't want
                    to do it on a field with bitsPerValue=0 */
@@ -1327,6 +1332,14 @@ grib_handle* grib_util_set_spec2(grib_handle* h,
             if (strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_jpeg") && !strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_simple"))
                 setJpegPacking = 1;
             break;
+        case GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_CCSDS:
+            /* Have to delay CCSDS packing:
+             * Reason 1: It is not available in GRIB1 and so we have to wait until we change edition
+             * Reason 2: It has to be done AFTER we set the data values
+             */
+            if (strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_ccsds") && !strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_simple"))
+                setCcsdsPacking = 1;
+            break;
         case GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SECOND_ORDER:
             /* we delay the set of grid_second_order because we don't want
                to do it on a field with bitsPerValue=0 */
@@ -1606,6 +1619,14 @@ grib_handle* grib_util_set_spec2(grib_handle* h,
                 goto cleanup;
             }
         }
+        if (setCcsdsPacking == 1) {
+            *err = grib_set_string(outh, "packingType", "grid_ccsds", &slen);
+            if (*err != GRIB_SUCCESS) {
+                fprintf(stderr,"GRIB_UTIL_SET_SPEC: Failed to change packingType to CCSDS: %s\n",
+                        grib_get_error_message(*err));
+                goto cleanup;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     if (packing_spec->deleteLocalDefinition) {
diff --git a/tests/grib_util_set_spec.c b/tests/grib_util_set_spec.c
index 6bf315070..a7b073e7e 100644
--- a/tests/grib_util_set_spec.c
+++ b/tests/grib_util_set_spec.c
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ static int get_packing_type_code(const char* packingType)
 
     if (STR_EQUAL(packingType, "grid_jpeg"))
         result = GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_JPEG;
+    if (STR_EQUAL(packingType, "grid_ccsds"))
+        result = GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_CCSDS;
     else if (STR_EQUAL(packingType, "grid_simple"))
         result = GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SIMPLE;
     else if (STR_EQUAL(packingType, "grid_second_order"))
@@ -178,6 +180,7 @@ static void test_regular_ll(int remove_local_def, int edition, const char* packi
     spec.Nj = 14;
     spec.Ni = 17;
     outlen = spec.Nj * spec.Ni;
+    /* outlen = inlen; */
     spec.iDirectionIncrementInDegrees = 1.5;
     spec.jDirectionIncrementInDegrees = 1.5;
     spec.latitudeOfFirstGridPointInDegrees  = 60.0001;
@@ -330,7 +333,7 @@ static void test_grid_complex_spatial_differencing(int remove_local_def, int edi
 static void usage(const char *prog)
 {
     fprintf(stderr, "%s: [-p packingType] [-r] [-e edition] in.grib out.grib\n", prog);
-    fprintf(stderr, "-p  packingType: one of grid_jpeg, grid_second_order or grid_simple\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "-p  packingType: one of grid_jpeg, grid_ccsds, grid_second_order or grid_simple\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "-r  remove local definition\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "-e  edition: 1 or 2\n");
     exit(1);
diff --git a/tests/grib_util_set_spec.sh b/tests/grib_util_set_spec.sh
index 35d0a81b0..70cd5c841 100755
--- a/tests/grib_util_set_spec.sh
+++ b/tests/grib_util_set_spec.sh
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ if [ $HAVE_JPEG -eq 1 ]; then
     [ "$res" = "2 1 grid_jpeg" ]
 fi
 
+# Convert to edition2 and use CCSDS for packing
+if [ $HAVE_AEC -eq 1 ]; then
+    infile=../data/latlon.grib
+    $EXEC $grib_util_set_spec -e 2 -p grid_ccsds $infile $outfile > /dev/null
+    res=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -p edition,section2Used,packingType $outfile`
+    [ "$res" = "2 1 grid_ccsds" ]
+fi
+
 # --------------------------------------------------
 # Reduced Gaussian Grid N=32 second order packing
 # --------------------------------------------------