diff --git a/include/etl/private/bitset_legacy.h b/include/etl/private/bitset_legacy.h
index 593f415b..a1f40737 100644
--- a/include/etl/private/bitset_legacy.h
+++ b/include/etl/private/bitset_legacy.h
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ namespace etl
 
   public:
 
+    typedef size_t size_type;
+
     typedef typename etl::make_unsigned<ETL_BITSET_ELEMENT_TYPE>::type element_type;
     typedef element_type element_t; // Backward compatibility
 
diff --git a/include/etl/private/bitset_new.h b/include/etl/private/bitset_new.h
index 323a4e47..2fcbc990 100644
--- a/include/etl/private/bitset_new.h
+++ b/include/etl/private/bitset_new.h
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ namespace etl
       typedef TElement        element_type;
       typedef TElement*       pointer;
       typedef const TElement* const_pointer;
+      typedef size_t          size_type;
 
       static ETL_CONSTANT size_t   npos              = etl::integral_limits<size_t>::max;
       static ETL_CONSTANT size_t   Bits_Per_Element  = etl::integral_limits<TElement>::bits;
@@ -1937,6 +1938,8 @@ namespace etl
     typedef typename etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<Active_Bits, TElement>::span_type       span_type;
     typedef typename etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<Active_Bits, TElement>::const_span_type const_span_type;
 
+    
+
     using etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<Active_Bits, TElement>::Bits_Per_Element;
     using etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<Active_Bits, TElement>::All_Set_Element;
     using etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<Active_Bits, TElement>::All_Clear_Element;
@@ -2826,6 +2829,8 @@ namespace etl
   {
   public:
 
+    typedef size_t size_type;
+
     typedef etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<0U, unsigned char>::element_type    element_type;
     typedef etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<0U, unsigned char>::span_type       span_type;
     typedef etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<0U, unsigned char>::const_span_type const_span_type;
@@ -2850,6 +2855,8 @@ namespace etl
 
     ETL_STATIC_ASSERT(etl::is_unsigned<TElement>::value, "The element type must be unsigned");
 
+    typedef size_t size_type;
+
     typedef typename etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<Active_Bits, TElement>::element_type    element_type;
     typedef typename etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<Active_Bits, TElement>::span_type       span_type;
     typedef typename etl::private_bitset::bitset_common<Active_Bits, TElement>::const_span_type const_span_type;
diff --git a/test/test_bitset_legacy.cpp b/test/test_bitset_legacy.cpp
index a64722ba..88bb3017 100644
--- a/test/test_bitset_legacy.cpp
+++ b/test/test_bitset_legacy.cpp
@@ -1493,6 +1493,14 @@ namespace
       CHECK_EQUAL("...*..*...**.*...*.*.**..****...", stdtext.c_str());
     }
 
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_global_size)
+    {
+      etl::bitset<32> b(0x12345678UL);
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(32, ETL_OR_STD::size(b));
+    }
+
     //*************************************************************************
     TEST(test_issue_497_count_inverted_bits)
     {
diff --git a/test/test_bitset_new_default_element_type.cpp b/test/test_bitset_new_default_element_type.cpp
index 4e8b5164..682cd2b8 100644
--- a/test/test_bitset_new_default_element_type.cpp
+++ b/test/test_bitset_new_default_element_type.cpp
@@ -2722,5 +2722,13 @@ namespace
       CHECK_EQUAL(test_bit(6), t6);
       CHECK_EQUAL(test_bit(7), t7);
     }
+
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_global_size)
+    {
+      etl::bitset<32> b(0x12345678UL);
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(32, ETL_OR_STD::size(b));
+    }
   };
 }
diff --git a/test/test_bitset_new_explicit_single_element_type.cpp b/test/test_bitset_new_explicit_single_element_type.cpp
index 82badbb0..f6db16a9 100644
--- a/test/test_bitset_new_explicit_single_element_type.cpp
+++ b/test/test_bitset_new_explicit_single_element_type.cpp
@@ -2815,5 +2815,13 @@ namespace
       CHECK_EQUAL(test_bit(6), t6);
       CHECK_EQUAL(test_bit(7), t7);
     }
+
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_global_size)
+    {
+      etl::bitset<32, uint32_t> b(0x12345678UL);
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(32, ETL_OR_STD::size(b));
+    }
   };
 }
diff --git a/test/test_bitset_new_ext_default_element_type.cpp b/test/test_bitset_new_ext_default_element_type.cpp
index 64100f3e..d944087d 100644
--- a/test/test_bitset_new_ext_default_element_type.cpp
+++ b/test/test_bitset_new_ext_default_element_type.cpp
@@ -2471,5 +2471,13 @@ namespace
       CHECK_EQUAL(test_bit(6), t6);
       CHECK_EQUAL(test_bit(7), t7);
     }
+
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_global_size)
+    {
+      etl::bitset<32> b(0x12345678UL);
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(32, ETL_OR_STD::size(b));
+    }
   };
 }
diff --git a/test/test_bitset_new_ext_explicit_single_element_type.cpp b/test/test_bitset_new_ext_explicit_single_element_type.cpp
index 43343448..e34ffe66 100644
--- a/test/test_bitset_new_ext_explicit_single_element_type.cpp
+++ b/test/test_bitset_new_ext_explicit_single_element_type.cpp
@@ -2619,5 +2619,13 @@ namespace
       CHECK_EQUAL(test_bit(6), t6);
       CHECK_EQUAL(test_bit(7), t7);
     }
+
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_global_size)
+    {
+      etl::bitset<32, uint32_t> b(0x12345678UL);
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(32, ETL_OR_STD::size(b));
+    }
   };
 }