diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/README.md b/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/README.md
index b3bbdcdb5..c5fcc2279 100644
--- a/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/README.md
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/README.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ This gem adds the following methods:
 - `allbits?(mask)`: Returns `true` if all bits of `self & mask` are 1.
 - `anybits?(mask)`: Returns `true` if any bits of `self & mask` are 1.
 - `nobits?(mask)`: Returns `true` if no bits of `self & mask` are 1.
+- `bit_length`: Returns the number of bits of the absolute value of `self` in binary. `0.bit_length #=> 0`; `(-1).bit_length #=> 0`; `2.bit_length #=> 2`.
 - `ceildiv(other)`: Returns the result of `self` divided by `other`, rounded up to the nearest integer.
 - `integer?`: Returns `true` (overrides `Numeric#integer?`).
 - `remainder(numeric)`: Returns the remainder of `self` divided by `numeric`. Equivalent to `x - y * (x / y).truncate`.
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ p 12345.digits    # => [5, 4, 3, 2, 1]
 p 12345.digits(16) # => [9, 3, 0, 3]
 
 p 42.size         # => (depends on machine, e.g., 4 or 8)
+p 5.bit_length    # => 3
 p 5.odd?          # => true
 p 4.even?         # => true
 p Integer.sqrt(16) # => 4
diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/src/numeric_ext.c b/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/src/numeric_ext.c
index 2366414c6..e607eb89a 100644
--- a/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/src/numeric_ext.c
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/src/numeric_ext.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <mruby.h>
 #include <mruby/numeric.h>
 #include <mruby/array.h>
+#include <mruby/string.h>
 #include <mruby/internal.h>
 #include <mruby/presym.h>
 
@@ -8,6 +9,40 @@
 static mrb_value flo_remainder(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value self);
 #endif
 
+/*
+ *  call-seq:
+ *     int.bit_length -> integer
+ *
+ *  Returns the number of bits of the absolute value of self in binary representation.
+ *  For zero, returns 0. For negative integers, behaves as (~self).bit_length
+ *  (e.g., (-1).bit_length => 0, (-2).bit_length => 1).
+ */
+static mrb_value
+int_bit_length(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value self)
+{
+#ifdef MRB_USE_BIGINT
+  if (mrb_bigint_p(self)) {
+    mrb_int sign = mrb_bint_sign(mrb, self);
+    if (sign == 0) return mrb_fixnum_value(0);
+    mrb_value v = self;
+    if (sign < 0) v = mrb_bint_rev(mrb, self); /* ~self = -self-1 */
+    mrb_value s = mrb_bint_to_s(mrb, v, 2);
+    return mrb_int_value(mrb, (mrb_int)RSTRING_LEN(s));
+  }
+#endif
+  mrb_int x = mrb_integer(self);
+  if (x == 0) return mrb_fixnum_value(0);
+
+  /* for negative fixnums, use ~x */
+  mrb_uint ux = (mrb_uint)(x < 0 ? ~x : x);
+  mrb_int bits = 0;
+  while (ux) {
+    bits++;
+    ux >>= 1;
+  }
+  return mrb_int_value(mrb, bits);
+}
+
 /*
  *  call-seq:
  *     num.remainder(numeric)  ->  real
@@ -435,6 +470,7 @@ mrb_mruby_numeric_ext_gem_init(mrb_state* mrb)
   mrb_define_method_id(mrb, ic, MRB_SYM(pow), int_powm, MRB_ARGS_ARG(1,1));
   mrb_define_method_id(mrb, ic, MRB_SYM(digits), int_digits, MRB_ARGS_OPT(1));
   mrb_define_method_id(mrb, ic, MRB_SYM(size), int_size, MRB_ARGS_NONE());
+  mrb_define_method_id(mrb, ic, MRB_SYM(bit_length), int_bit_length, MRB_ARGS_NONE());
   mrb_define_method_id(mrb, ic, MRB_SYM_Q(odd), int_odd, MRB_ARGS_NONE());
   mrb_define_method_id(mrb, ic, MRB_SYM_Q(even), int_even, MRB_ARGS_NONE());
   mrb_define_method_id(mrb, ic, MRB_SYM(gcd), int_gcd, MRB_ARGS_REQ(1));
diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/test/numeric.rb b/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/test/numeric.rb
index 4578afd26..08eb4e9d0 100644
--- a/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/test/numeric.rb
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-numeric-ext/test/numeric.rb
@@ -111,3 +111,27 @@ assert('Integer.sqrt') do
   assert_equal(10, Integer.sqrt(100))
   assert_equal(85, Integer.sqrt(7244))
 end
+
+assert('Integer#bit_length') do
+  # zero
+  assert_equal 0, 0.bit_length
+
+  # positives
+  assert_equal 1, 1.bit_length
+  assert_equal 2, 2.bit_length
+  assert_equal 2, 3.bit_length
+  assert_equal 3, 4.bit_length
+  assert_equal 3, 5.bit_length
+
+  # negatives (use ~n semantics)
+  assert_equal 0, (-1).bit_length
+  assert_equal 1, (-2).bit_length
+  assert_equal 2, (-3).bit_length
+  assert_equal 2, (-4).bit_length
+  assert_equal 3, (-5).bit_length
+
+  # bigint cases may be enabled depending on config
+  # assert_equal 100, (2**100 - 1).bit_length
+  # assert_equal 101, (2**100).bit_length
+  # assert_equal 0,  (-1).bit_length
+end