diff --git a/src/utils/EntryModel.cxxtest b/src/utils/EntryModel.cxxtest
index 48b5ad03e..62d7ff409 100644
--- a/src/utils/EntryModel.cxxtest
+++ b/src/utils/EntryModel.cxxtest
@@ -219,6 +219,62 @@ TEST(EntryModelTest, InitValuePopBack)
     EXPECT_FALSE(uem.has_leading_zeros());
 }
 
+TEST(EntryModelTest, SetLeadingZero)
+{
+    EntryModel<int64_t> em;
+
+    // signed
+    // non-zero positive init
+    em.init(4, 10, 24);
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(4U, em.max_size());
+    EXPECT_EQ(24, em.get_value());
+    EXPECT_EQ("24", em.get_string());
+    EXPECT_EQ("  24", em.get_string(true));
+    EXPECT_EQ(0U, em.size());
+    EXPECT_TRUE(em.is_at_initial_value());
+    EXPECT_FALSE(em.empty());
+    EXPECT_FALSE(em.has_leading_zeros());
+
+    em.set_leading_zeros(1);
+    EXPECT_EQ(24, em.get_value());
+    EXPECT_EQ("024", em.get_string());
+    EXPECT_EQ(" 024", em.get_string(true));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(em.has_leading_zeros());
+    
+    em.set_leading_zeros(2);
+    EXPECT_EQ(24, em.get_value());
+    EXPECT_EQ("0024", em.get_string());
+    EXPECT_EQ("0024", em.get_string(true));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(em.has_leading_zeros());
+
+    em.set_leading_zeros(0);
+    EXPECT_EQ("24", em.get_string());
+    EXPECT_EQ("  24", em.get_string(true));
+    EXPECT_FALSE(em.has_leading_zeros());
+
+    // signed
+    // zero init
+    em.init(4, 10, 0);
+    EXPECT_EQ(4U, em.max_size());
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, em.get_value());
+    EXPECT_EQ("0", em.get_string());
+    EXPECT_EQ("   0", em.get_string(true));
+    EXPECT_FALSE(em.has_leading_zeros());
+
+    em.set_leading_zeros(1);
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, em.get_value());
+    EXPECT_EQ("00", em.get_string());
+    EXPECT_EQ("  00", em.get_string(true));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(em.has_leading_zeros());
+    
+    em.set_leading_zeros(0);
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, em.get_value());
+    EXPECT_EQ("0", em.get_string());
+    EXPECT_EQ("   0", em.get_string(true));
+    EXPECT_FALSE(em.has_leading_zeros());
+}
+
 TEST(EntryModelTest, SetBaseConvert)
 {
     EntryModel<int64_t> em;
diff --git a/src/utils/EntryModel.hxx b/src/utils/EntryModel.hxx
index 237a3e848..c1fdad299 100644
--- a/src/utils/EntryModel.hxx
+++ b/src/utils/EntryModel.hxx
@@ -283,6 +283,12 @@ public:
         return numLeadingZeros_ > 0;
     }
 
+    /// Sets the number of leading zeros without changing the value.
+    void set_leading_zeros(unsigned num)
+    {
+        numLeadingZeros_ = num;
+    }
+
     /// Get the entry as an unsigned integer value. Note, that '0' is returned
     /// both when the actual value is '0' and when the entry is "empty". If the
     /// caller needs to distinguish between these two states, check for