diff --git a/linux-ramdump-parser-v2/ramdump.py b/linux-ramdump-parser-v2/ramdump.py
index 200c49b2b69ec07fadd29cbd00f3705d14b6f9fa..1b1a59d1e64ca308f08a56614b38af0d27b88adc 100755
--- a/linux-ramdump-parser-v2/ramdump.py
+++ b/linux-ramdump-parser-v2/ramdump.py
@@ -1274,6 +1274,11 @@ class RamDump():
         s = self.read_string(addr_or_name, '<?', virtual, cpu)
         return s[0] if s is not None else None
 
+    def read_s64(self, addr_or_name, virtual=True, cpu=None):
+        """returns a value guaranteed to be 64 bits"""
+        s = self.read_string(addr_or_name, '<q', virtual, cpu)
+        return s[0] if s is not None else None
+
     def read_u64(self, addr_or_name, virtual=True, cpu=None):
         """returns a value guaranteed to be 64 bits"""
         s = self.read_string(addr_or_name, '<Q', virtual, cpu)