diff --git a/node/value.go b/node/value.go
index 2423b0e..85ec67f 100644
--- a/node/value.go
+++ b/node/value.go
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ func NewValue(typ *meta.Type, v interface{}) (val.Value, error) {
 		return toUnionList(typ, v)
 	case val.FmtLeafRef, val.FmtLeafRefList:
 		return NewValue(typ.Resolve(), v)
+	case val.FmtBitsList:
+		return toBitsList(typ.Bits(), v)
 	case val.FmtBits:
 		return toBits(typ.Bits(), v)
 	}
@@ -198,47 +200,68 @@ func toUnionList(typ *meta.Type, v interface{}) (val.Value, error) {
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not coerce %v into UnionList", v)
 }
 
+func toBitsListHandler[V uint64 | int | uint | int64 | string | []string | float64](bitDefintions []*meta.Bit, vList []V) (val.BitsList, error) {
+	result := make([]val.Bits, len(vList))
+	var err error
+	for i, v := range vList {
+		if result[i], err = toBits(bitDefintions, v); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	return result, nil
+}
+
+func toBitsList(bitDefintions []*meta.Bit, v interface{}) (val.BitsList, error) {
+	switch x := v.(type) {
+	case []string: // treat string as list of bit identifiers separated by space
+		return toBitsListHandler(bitDefintions, x)
+	case [][]string:
+		return toBitsListHandler(bitDefintions, x)
+	case []uint64:
+		return toBitsListHandler(bitDefintions, x)
+	case []int:
+		return toBitsListHandler(bitDefintions, x)
+	case []float64: // default type for decimals from JSON parser
+		return toBitsListHandler(bitDefintions, x)
+	}
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not coerce %v into BitList", v)
+}
+
+func toBitsValueHandler[V int | uint | int64 | float64](bitDefintions []*meta.Bit, v V) (val.Bits, error) {
+	return toBits(bitDefintions, uint64(v))
+}
+
 func toBits(bitDefintions []*meta.Bit, v interface{}) (val.Bits, error) {
 	result := val.Bits{}
 	switch x := v.(type) {
-	case string: // treat string as list of bit identifiers separated by space
-		for _, strBit := range strings.Split(x, " ") {
-			for _, bitDef := range bitDefintions {
-				if strBit == bitDef.Ident() {
-					result.StringList = append(result.StringList, strBit)
-					result.Decimal = result.Decimal | (1 << bitDef.Position)
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		return result, nil
-	case float64: // default type for decimals from JSON parser
-		intVal := uint64(x)
-		// TODO: add verify that value has less or eq bits than definition
-		for _, bitDef := range bitDefintions {
-			if intVal&(1<<bitDef.Position) != 0 {
-				result.Decimal = result.Decimal | (1 << bitDef.Position)
-				result.StringList = append(result.StringList, bitDef.Ident())
-			}
-		}
-		return result, nil
-	case []string: // each string is bit identifier
+	case []string: // labels only
 		for _, strBit := range x {
 			for _, bitDef := range bitDefintions {
 				if strBit == bitDef.Ident() {
-					result.StringList = append(result.StringList, strBit)
-					result.Decimal = result.Decimal | (1 << bitDef.Position)
+					result.Labels = append(result.Labels, strBit)
+					result.Positions = result.Positions | (1 << bitDef.Position)
 				}
 			}
 		}
 		return result, nil
-	case int:
+	case uint64: // positions only
 		for _, bitDef := range bitDefintions {
 			if x&(1<<bitDef.Position) != 0 {
-				result.Decimal = result.Decimal | (1 << bitDef.Position)
-				result.StringList = append(result.StringList, bitDef.Ident())
+				result.Positions = result.Positions | (1 << bitDef.Position)
+				result.Labels = append(result.Labels, bitDef.Ident())
 			}
 		}
 		return result, nil
+	case string: // treat string as list of bit identifiers separated by space
+		return toBits(bitDefintions, strings.Split(x, " "))
+	case int:
+		return toBitsValueHandler(bitDefintions, x)
+	case uint:
+		return toBitsValueHandler(bitDefintions, x)
+	case float64:
+		return toBitsValueHandler(bitDefintions, x)
+	case int64:
+		return toBitsValueHandler(bitDefintions, x)
 	default:
 		return result, fmt.Errorf("could not coerce %v (of type %T) into UnionList", v, v)
 	}
diff --git a/node/value_test.go b/node/value_test.go
index 48b575d..d0af7bb 100644
--- a/node/value_test.go
+++ b/node/value_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/freeconf/yang/fc"
 	"github.com/freeconf/yang/meta"
+	"github.com/freeconf/yang/val"
 )
 
 func TestCoerseValue(t *testing.T) {
@@ -103,17 +104,57 @@ func TestToBits(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// cast from int (non empty)
 	v, err = NewValue(dt, 0b11)
+	fc.AssertEqual(t, nil, err)
 	fc.AssertEqual(t, uint64(0b11), v.Value())
 	fc.AssertEqual(t, "b0 b1", v.String())
 
 	// cast from string
 	v, err = NewValue(dt, "b1")
+	fc.AssertEqual(t, nil, err)
 	fc.AssertEqual(t, uint64(0b10), v.Value())
 	fc.AssertEqual(t, "b1", v.String())
 
 	// cast from []string (wrong order)
 	v, err = NewValue(dt, []string{"b1", "b0"})
+	fc.AssertEqual(t, nil, err)
 	fc.AssertEqual(t, uint64(0b11), v.Value())
 	// side effect: keeping order so input and output data are equal
 	fc.AssertEqual(t, "b1 b0", v.String())
 }
+
+func TestBitList(t *testing.T) {
+	b := &meta.Builder{}
+	m := b.Module("x", nil)
+	l := b.LeafList(m, "l")
+	dt := b.Type(l, "bits")
+	b0 := b.Bit(dt, "b0")
+	b.Position(b0, 0)
+	b1 := b.Bit(dt, "b1")
+	b.Position(b1, 1)
+	fc.RequireEqual(t, nil, meta.Compile(m))
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		positions      []uint64
+		expectedLabels [][]string
+		toString       string
+	}{
+		{
+			positions:      []uint64{0, 0},
+			expectedLabels: [][]string{nil, nil},
+			toString:       ",",
+		},
+		{
+			positions:      []uint64{0b10, 0b11},
+			expectedLabels: [][]string{{"b1"}, {"b0", "b1"}},
+			toString:       "b1,b0 b1",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		v, err := NewValue(dt, test.positions)
+		fc.AssertEqual(t, nil, err)
+		b := v.(val.BitsList)
+		fc.AssertEqual(t, test.positions, b.Positions())
+		fc.AssertEqual(t, test.toString, b.String())
+		fc.AssertEqual(t, test.expectedLabels, b.Labels())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/nodeutil/json_wtr_test.go b/nodeutil/json_wtr_test.go
index 92ef5e3..e198f7d 100644
--- a/nodeutil/json_wtr_test.go
+++ b/nodeutil/json_wtr_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestJsonWriterLeafs(t *testing.T) {
-	fc.DebugLog(true)
 	tests := []struct {
 		Yang     string
 		Val      val.Value
@@ -50,6 +49,16 @@ func TestJsonWriterLeafs(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: `"x":6`,
 			enumAsId: true,
 		},
+		{
+			Yang: `leaf-list x { type bits { bit one; bit two; }}`,
+			Val: val.BitsList(
+				[]val.Bits{
+					{Positions: 0b01, Labels: []string{"one"}},
+					{Positions: 0b11, Labels: []string{"one", "two"}},
+				},
+			),
+			expected: `"x":["one","one two"]`,
+		},
 	}
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		m, err := parser.LoadModuleFromString(nil, fmt.Sprintf(`module m { namespace ""; %s }`, test.Yang))
diff --git a/nodeutil/reflect.go b/nodeutil/reflect.go
index 489bb9e..c0ab22c 100644
--- a/nodeutil/reflect.go
+++ b/nodeutil/reflect.go
@@ -582,9 +582,9 @@ func (self Reflect) WriteFieldWithFieldName(fieldName string, m meta.Leafable, p
 			if fieldVal.Type().Elem().Kind() != reflect.String {
 				return fmt.Errorf("cannot assign bits value to type %T, only '[]string' or 'int' are accepted for bits representation", fieldVal.Interface())
 			}
-			fieldVal.Set(reflect.ValueOf(b.StringList))
+			fieldVal.Set(reflect.ValueOf(b.Labels))
 		case reflect.Int:
-			fieldVal.SetInt(int64(b.Decimal))
+			fieldVal.SetInt(int64(b.Positions))
 		default:
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot convert bits value to fieldvalue '%v'. Please use 'int' or '[]string' for bits field definition", fieldVal.Kind())
 		}
diff --git a/val/types.go b/val/types.go
index 381e28a..64c89db 100644
--- a/val/types.go
+++ b/val/types.go
@@ -866,8 +866,8 @@ func (NotEmptyType) Value() interface{} {
 //////////////////////////
 
 type Bits struct {
-	Decimal    uint64
-	StringList []string
+	Positions uint64
+	Labels    []string
 }
 
 func (Bits) Format() Format {
@@ -875,17 +875,17 @@ func (Bits) Format() Format {
 }
 
 func (b Bits) String() string {
-	return strings.Join(b.StringList, " ")
+	return strings.Join(b.Labels, " ")
 }
 
 func (b Bits) Value() interface{} {
-	return b.Decimal
+	return b.Positions
 }
 
-type BitsList [][]byte
+type BitsList []Bits
 
 func (BitsList) Format() Format {
-	return FmtEmpty
+	return FmtBitsList
 }
 
 func (b BitsList) String() string {
@@ -894,11 +894,35 @@ func (b BitsList) String() string {
 		if i != 0 {
 			s += ","
 		}
-		s += string(x)
+		s += x.String()
 	}
 	return s
 }
 
 func (b BitsList) Value() interface{} {
-	return [][]byte(b)
+	return b.Positions()
+}
+
+func (e BitsList) Positions() []uint64 {
+	l := make([]uint64, len(e))
+	for i := range e {
+		l[i] = e[i].Positions
+	}
+	return l
+}
+
+func (e BitsList) Labels() [][]string {
+	l := make([][]string, len(e))
+	for i := range e {
+		l[i] = e[i].Labels
+	}
+	return l
+}
+
+func (x BitsList) Len() int {
+	return len(x)
+}
+
+func (x BitsList) Item(i int) Value {
+	return x[i]
 }