diff --git a/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order.def b/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order.def
index d517d26b8..2ef74a82e 100644
--- a/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order.def
+++ b/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order.def
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ meta countOfGroupLengths sum(groupLengths);
 transient numberOfCodedValues=countOfGroupLengths+orderOfSPD;
 #transient numberOfCodedValues=countOfGroupLengths;
 meta bitsPerValue second_order_bits_per_value(codedValues,binaryScaleFactor,decimalScaleFactor);
+alias accuracy = bitsPerValue;
 
 
 position offsetBeforeData;
diff --git a/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_constant_width.def b/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_constant_width.def
index 1c30e0e24..8042255b4 100644
--- a/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_constant_width.def
+++ b/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_constant_width.def
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ meta numberOfGroups evaluate(codedNumberOfFirstOrderPackedValues + 65536 * extra
 
 unsigned[1] groupWidth :dump;
 meta bitsPerValue second_order_bits_per_value(values,binaryScaleFactor,decimalScaleFactor);
+alias accuracy = bitsPerValue;
 
 position offsetBeforeData;
 
diff --git a/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_general_grib1.def b/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_general_grib1.def
index 3e02ac8df..6f5ef7c8a 100644
--- a/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_general_grib1.def
+++ b/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_general_grib1.def
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ meta numberOfGroups evaluate(codedNumberOfFirstOrderPackedValues + 65536 * extra
 
 unsigned[1] groupWidths[numberOfGroups] :dump;
 meta bitsPerValue second_order_bits_per_value(values,binaryScaleFactor,decimalScaleFactor);
+alias accuracy = bitsPerValue;
 
 position offsetBeforeData;
 
diff --git a/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_row_by_row.def b/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_row_by_row.def
index 8368f4430..e5c96e3e8 100644
--- a/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_row_by_row.def
+++ b/definitions/grib1/data.grid_second_order_row_by_row.def
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ meta numberOfGroups evaluate(codedNumberOfFirstOrderPackedValues + 65536 * extra
 
 unsigned[1] groupWidths[numberOfGroups] :dump;
 meta bitsPerValue second_order_bits_per_value(values,binaryScaleFactor,decimalScaleFactor);
+alias accuracy = bitsPerValue;
 
 position offsetBeforeData;
 
diff --git a/definitions/grib2/template.5.50001.def b/definitions/grib2/template.5.50001.def
index 1e8eed339..01d0aedbe 100755
--- a/definitions/grib2/template.5.50001.def
+++ b/definitions/grib2/template.5.50001.def
@@ -1,27 +1,28 @@
 # (C) Copyright 2005- ECMWF.
 
-ieeefloat   referenceValue  : no_copy;
+ieeefloat referenceValue: no_copy;
 meta referenceValueError reference_value_error(referenceValue,ieee);
 
-signed[2]   binaryScaleFactor : no_copy;
+signed[2] binaryScaleFactor: no_copy;
 
-signed[2]   decimalScaleFactor :no_copy;
+signed[2] decimalScaleFactor: no_copy;
 
 # Try different values of binaryScaleFactor and decimalScaleFactor to reduce packing error
 transient optimizeScaleFactor = 0;
 
-unsigned[1] bitsPerValue ;
+unsigned[1] bitsPerValue;
+alias accuracy = bitsPerValue;
 if (bitsPerValue) {
-	unsigned[1] widthOfFirstOrderValues :no_copy ;
+  unsigned[1] widthOfFirstOrderValues :no_copy ;
 
-	unsigned [4] numberOfGroups : no_copy;
-	unsigned [4] numberOfSecondOrderPackedValues : no_copy;
-	unsigned [1] widthOfWidths : no_copy;
-	unsigned [1] widthOfLengths : no_copy;
-	unsigned [1] orderOfSPD = 2 : no_copy ;
+  unsigned [4] numberOfGroups : no_copy;
+  unsigned [4] numberOfSecondOrderPackedValues : no_copy;
+  unsigned [1] widthOfWidths : no_copy;
+  unsigned [1] widthOfLengths : no_copy;
+  unsigned [1] orderOfSPD = 2 : no_copy ;
 
-	if (orderOfSPD) {
-		unsigned[1] widthOfSPD ;
-		meta SPD spd(widthOfSPD,orderOfSPD) : read_only;
-	}
+  if (orderOfSPD) {
+    unsigned[1] widthOfSPD ;
+    meta SPD spd(widthOfSPD,orderOfSPD) : read_only;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/definitions/grib2/template.5.50002.def b/definitions/grib2/template.5.50002.def
index dd687a02b..a30bdaee0 100755
--- a/definitions/grib2/template.5.50002.def
+++ b/definitions/grib2/template.5.50002.def
@@ -3,15 +3,16 @@
 ieeefloat   referenceValue  : no_copy;
 meta referenceValueError reference_value_error(referenceValue,ieee);
 
-signed[2]   binaryScaleFactor : no_copy;
+signed[2] binaryScaleFactor : no_copy;
 
-signed[2]   decimalScaleFactor :no_copy;
+signed[2] decimalScaleFactor :no_copy;
 
 # Try different values of binaryScaleFactor and decimalScaleFactor to reduce packing error
 transient optimizeScaleFactor = 0;
 
-unsigned[1] bitsPerValue ;
-unsigned[1] widthOfFirstOrderValues :no_copy ;
+unsigned[1] bitsPerValue;
+alias accuracy = bitsPerValue;
+unsigned[1] widthOfFirstOrderValues :no_copy;
 
 unsigned [4] numberOfGroups : no_copy;
 unsigned [4] numberOfSecondOrderPackedValues : no_copy;
@@ -24,6 +25,6 @@ flagbit boustrophedonicOrdering(secondOrderFlags,7) = 0;
 alias boustrophedonic=boustrophedonicOrdering;
 
 if (orderOfSPD) {
-	 unsigned[1] widthOfSPD ;
-	 meta SPD spd(widthOfSPD,orderOfSPD) : read_only;
+  unsigned[1] widthOfSPD ;
+  meta SPD spd(widthOfSPD,orderOfSPD) : read_only;
 }
diff --git a/tests/grib_second_order.sh b/tests/grib_second_order.sh
index ae01c20a2..032667778 100755
--- a/tests/grib_second_order.sh
+++ b/tests/grib_second_order.sh
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ sec_ord_bmp=sec_ord_bmp.$$.grib1
 
 # Convert to second order packing
 ${tools_dir}/grib_set -r -s packingType=grid_second_order gen_bitmap.grib $sec_ord_bmp
+grib_check_key_equals $sec_ord_bmp accuracy 4
 # Check there are missing values
 nums=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -p numberOfDataPoints,numberOfCodedValues,numberOfMissing $sec_ord_bmp`
 [ "$nums" = "5969 4 5965" ]
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ cat > $test_filter<<EOF
 EOF
 ${tools_dir}/grib_filter -o $temp2 $test_filter $ECCODES_SAMPLES_PATH/GRIB2.tmpl
 ${tools_dir}/grib_set -r -s packingType=grid_second_order $temp2 $temp3
-grib_check_key_equals $temp3 packingType grid_simple
+grib_check_key_equals $temp3 packingType,accuracy 'grid_simple 24'
 
 # Three coded values: Now we can change to 2nd order
 cat > $test_filter<<EOF
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ cat > $test_filter<<EOF
 EOF
 ${tools_dir}/grib_filter -o $temp2 $test_filter $ECCODES_SAMPLES_PATH/GRIB2.tmpl
 ${tools_dir}/grib_set -r -s packingType=grid_second_order $temp2 $temp3
-grib_check_key_equals $temp3 packingType grid_second_order
+grib_check_key_equals $temp3 packingType,accuracy 'grid_second_order 24'
 
 
 # ECC-1219: packingType conversion from grid_ieee to grid_second_order