diff --git a/cobc/ChangeLog b/cobc/ChangeLog
index af1c7df65..84c7e332e 100644
--- a/cobc/ChangeLog
+++ b/cobc/ChangeLog
@@ -404,6 +404,10 @@
 	* codegen.c: removed check for "has condition a reference" or disabled
 	  this within [COB_TREE_DEBUG]
 
+2022-02-07  David Declerck <david.declerck@ocamlpro.com>
+
+	* config.def, parser.y: allow DEPENDING clause in RECORD CONTAINS
+
 2022-02-06  Ron Norman <rjn@inglenet.com>
 
 	* codegen.c: if verb changes then emit trace/debug code, too
diff --git a/cobc/config.def b/cobc/config.def
index 9ff74108e..e1091fe43 100644
--- a/cobc/config.def
+++ b/cobc/config.def
@@ -437,3 +437,5 @@ CB_CONFIG_SUPPORT (cb_vsam_status, "vsam-status",
 CB_CONFIG_SUPPORT (cb_self_call_recursive, "self-call-recursive",
 	_("CALL to own PROGRAM-ID implies RECURSIVE attribute"))
 
+CB_CONFIG_SUPPORT (cb_record_contains_depending_clause, "record-contains-depending-clause",
+	_("DEPENDING clause in RECORD CONTAINS"))
diff --git a/cobc/parser.y b/cobc/parser.y
index 521c72694..38ffc563f 100644
--- a/cobc/parser.y
+++ b/cobc/parser.y
@@ -6232,12 +6232,19 @@ record_clause:
 	}
   }
 | RECORD _contains integer TO integer _characters
+  _record_depending /* GCOS extension */
   {
 	check_repeated ("RECORD", SYN_CLAUSE_4, &check_duplicate);
 	if (current_file->organization == COB_ORG_LINE_SEQUENTIAL) {
 		cb_warning (cb_warn_additional, _("RECORD clause ignored for LINE SEQUENTIAL"));
 	} else {
 		set_record_size ($3, $5);
+		if ($7) {
+			cb_verify (cb_record_contains_depending_clause, "RECORD CONTAINS DEPENDING");
+			current_file->record_depending = $7;
+			current_file->flag_check_record_varying_limits =
+				current_file->record_min == 0 || current_file->record_max == 0;
+		}
 	}
   }
 | RECORD _is VARYING _in _size _from_integer _to_integer _characters
@@ -6245,16 +6252,15 @@ record_clause:
   {
 	check_repeated ("RECORD", SYN_CLAUSE_4, &check_duplicate);
 	set_record_size ($6, $7);
+	current_file->record_depending = $9;
 	current_file->flag_check_record_varying_limits =
 		current_file->record_min == 0 || current_file->record_max == 0;
   }
 ;
 
 _record_depending:
-| DEPENDING _on reference
-  {
-	current_file->record_depending = $3;
-  }
+  /* empty */			{ $$ = NULL; }
+| DEPENDING _on reference	{ $$ = $3; }
 ;
 
 _from_integer:
diff --git a/config/ChangeLog b/config/ChangeLog
index 99bc8ffcc..7c26a6ab9 100644
--- a/config/ChangeLog
+++ b/config/ChangeLog
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@
 	  the support of the STOP ERROR statement
 
 
+2022-02-07  David Declerck <david.declerck@ocamlpro.com>
+
+	* general: add a record-contains-depending-clause option to allow
+	  configuring the support of the DEPENDING clause in RECORD CONTAINS
+
 2022-02-07  David Declerck <david.declerck@ocamlpro.com>
 
 	* gcos-strict.conf, gcos.conf, gcos.words: added config files for
diff --git a/config/acu-strict.conf b/config/acu-strict.conf
index 29a464fea..8d53a3bb0 100644
--- a/config/acu-strict.conf
+++ b/config/acu-strict.conf
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				ok
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				ignore
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 4 
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: 32
diff --git a/config/bs2000-strict.conf b/config/bs2000-strict.conf
index 0359edc25..045d528ef 100644
--- a/config/bs2000-strict.conf
+++ b/config/bs2000-strict.conf
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				ok
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 8 
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/cobol2002.conf b/config/cobol2002.conf
index 8d4acca0b..259541e9a 100644
--- a/config/cobol2002.conf
+++ b/config/cobol2002.conf
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				unconformable
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 0
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/cobol2014.conf b/config/cobol2014.conf
index f86f61f8f..5c192ed37 100644
--- a/config/cobol2014.conf
+++ b/config/cobol2014.conf
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				unconformable
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 0
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/cobol85.conf b/config/cobol85.conf
index 74212b8ae..25a8c5bfc 100644
--- a/config/cobol85.conf
+++ b/config/cobol85.conf
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				unconformable
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 0
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/default.conf b/config/default.conf
index 2c8bd621e..94875679b 100644
--- a/config/default.conf
+++ b/config/default.conf
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ self-call-recursive:		skip
 align-record: 0
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: ignore
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 
 # use complete word list; synonyms and exceptions are specified below
 reserved-words:		default
diff --git a/config/gcos-strict.conf b/config/gcos-strict.conf
index 5bd4b440e..b34fb9c2f 100644
--- a/config/gcos-strict.conf
+++ b/config/gcos-strict.conf
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				unconformable
 self-call-recursive:			skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	obsolete
 align-record: 0		# TODO: verify
 align-opt: no		# TODO: verify
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/ibm-strict.conf b/config/ibm-strict.conf
index de64f7468..42aa87ab3 100644
--- a/config/ibm-strict.conf
+++ b/config/ibm-strict.conf
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				ok
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 8
 align-opt: yes
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/mf-strict.conf b/config/mf-strict.conf
index cc90c72e2..f962d8cc8 100644
--- a/config/mf-strict.conf
+++ b/config/mf-strict.conf
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				ok
 assign-disk-from:			ok
 vsam-status:				ok
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 8
 align-opt: yes
 defaultbyte: 32
diff --git a/config/mvs-strict.conf b/config/mvs-strict.conf
index d0f3e35f6..fe3dbee7f 100644
--- a/config/mvs-strict.conf
+++ b/config/mvs-strict.conf
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				ok
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 8
 align-opt: yes
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/realia-strict.conf b/config/realia-strict.conf
index 25d8572a7..139551441 100644
--- a/config/realia-strict.conf
+++ b/config/realia-strict.conf
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				ok
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 0
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/rm-strict.conf b/config/rm-strict.conf
index f86002adc..653bd40e8 100644
--- a/config/rm-strict.conf
+++ b/config/rm-strict.conf
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ assign-ext-dyn:				unconformable
 assign-disk-from:			unconformable
 vsam-status:				unconformable
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	unconformable
 align-record: 4
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: ignore
diff --git a/config/xopen.conf b/config/xopen.conf
index 79923d3b9..2c1af5a44 100644
--- a/config/xopen.conf
+++ b/config/xopen.conf
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ align-record: 0
 align-opt: no
 defaultbyte: ignore
 self-call-recursive:		skip
+record-contains-depending-clause:	obsolete
 
 # obsolete in COBOL85 and currently not available as dialect features:
 # 1: All literal with numeric or numeric edited item
diff --git a/tests/testsuite.src/configuration.at b/tests/testsuite.src/configuration.at
index 8fcce56a3..c76c21b75 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite.src/configuration.at
+++ b/tests/testsuite.src/configuration.at
@@ -538,6 +538,7 @@ test.conf: missing definitions:
 	no definition of 'assign-disk-from'
 	no definition of 'vsam-status'
 	no definition of 'self-call-recursive'
+	no definition of 'record-contains-depending-clause'
 ])
 
 AT_CLEANUP
diff --git a/tests/testsuite.src/syn_file.at b/tests/testsuite.src/syn_file.at
index 252f26060..c1b24c960 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite.src/syn_file.at
+++ b/tests/testsuite.src/syn_file.at
@@ -862,6 +862,27 @@ AT_DATA([prog.cob], [
            STOP RUN.
 ])
 
+AT_DATA([prog2.cob], [
+       IDENTIFICATION   DIVISION.
+       PROGRAM-ID.      prog.
+       ENVIRONMENT      DIVISION.
+       INPUT-OUTPUT     SECTION.
+       FILE-CONTROL.
+       SELECT TEST-FILE ASSIGN TO 'FILE-TEST'
+                        ORGANIZATION IS SEQUENTIAL.
+       DATA             DIVISION.
+       FILE             SECTION.
+       FD TEST-FILE
+           RECORD CONTAINS 12 TO 125 CHARACTERS
+             DEPENDING ON RECORDSIZE.
+       01  TEST-REC.
+           05 FILLER    PIC X(40).
+       PROCEDURE        DIVISION.
+           OPEN  INPUT TEST-FILE.
+           CLOSE TEST-FILE.
+           STOP RUN.
+])
+
 # FIXME: the check misses "prog.cob:40: error: RECORD DEPENDING item must be unsigned numeric"
 AT_CHECK([$COMPILE_ONLY prog.cob], [1], [],
 [prog.cob:20: error: 'RECORDSIZE' is not defined
@@ -875,6 +896,13 @@ prog.cob:26: error: RECORD DEPENDING must reference a data-item
 prog.cob:34: warning: RECORD DEPENDING item 'RECORDSIZE3' should be defined in WORKING-STORAGE, LOCAL-STORAGE or LINKAGE SECTION
 prog.cob:40: warning: RECORD DEPENDING item 'RECORDSIZE4' should be defined in WORKING-STORAGE, LOCAL-STORAGE or LINKAGE SECTION
 ])
+AT_CHECK([$COMPILE_ONLY -frecord-contains-depending-clause=error prog2.cob], [1], [],
+[prog2.cob:13: error: RECORD CONTAINS DEPENDING used
+prog2.cob:13: error: 'RECORDSIZE' is not defined
+])
+AT_CHECK([$COMPILE_ONLY -frecord-contains-depending-clause=ok prog2.cob], [1], [],
+[prog2.cob:13: error: 'RECORDSIZE' is not defined
+])
 
 AT_CLEANUP