diff --git a/src/pspm_expand_epochs.m b/src/pspm_expand_epochs.m
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca1a3bc96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pspm_expand_epochs.m
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+function [sts, out] = pspm_expand_epochs(varargin)
+% ● Description
+% pspm_expand_epochs expands epochs in time, and merges overlapping epochs. 
+% This is useful in processing missing data epochs. The function can take 
+% a missing epochs file and creates a new file with the original name 
+% prepended with 'e', a matrix of missing epochs, or a PsPM data file with 
+% missing data in a given channel.
+% ● Format
+%   [sts, output_file]     = pspm_expand_epochs(epochs_fn, expansion, options)
+%   [sts, expanded_epochs] = pspm_expand_epochs(epochs, expansion, options) 
+%   [sts, channel_index]   = pspm_expand_epochs(data_fn, channel, expansion , options)
+% ● Arguments 
+%   *   epochs_fn:  An epochs file as defined in pspm_get_timing.
+%   *      epochs:  A 2-column matrix with epochs onsets and offsets in seconds.
+%   *     data_fn:  A PsPM data file.
+%   *     channel:  Channel identifier accepted by pspm_load_channel.
+%   *   expansion:  A 2-element vector with positive numbers [pre, post]
+%   ┌────────────options:
+%   ├─────────.overwrite: Define if already existing files should be
+%   │                     overwritten. Default ist 0. (Only used if input
+%   │                     is epochs file.)
+%   └────.channel_action: Channel action, add / replace existing data
+%                         data (default: add)
+% ● Output
+%   *  channel_index: index of channel containing the processed data
+% ● History
+%   Introduced in PsPM 7.0
+%   Written in 2024 by Bernhard Agoué von Raußendorf
+
+% Initialise
+% -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+global settings
+if isempty(settings)
+  pspm_init;
+end
+
+sts = -1;
+out = [];
+
+% Input checks and parsing 
+%  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+if nargin < 2 
+  warning('ID:invalid_input', 'Not enough input arguments');
+  return;
+end
+
+% parse first input and determine mode
+if isnumeric(varargin{1})
+    mode = 'epochs';
+    [gsts, epochs] = pspm_get_timing('epochs', varargin{1}, 'seconds');
+    if gsts < 1
+        return
+    end
+elseif ischar(varargin{1})
+    fn = varargin{1};
+    warning off
+    [gsts, epochs] = pspm_get_timing('epochs', fn, 'seconds');
+    warning on
+    if gsts == 1
+        mode = 'epochfile';
+    else
+        fprint('Assuming input is a PsPM data file ...\n');
+        mode = 'datafile';
+    end
+else 
+    warning('ID:invalid_input', 'First argument must be a file name or epoch matrix.');
+end
+
+% parse remaining arguments
+if ismember(mode, {'epochs', 'epochfile'})
+    expansion = varargin{2};
+    k = 2;
+else
+    channel   = varargin{2};
+    expansion = varargin{3};
+    k = 3;
+end
+
+if nargin > k
+    options = varargin{3};
+else
+    options = struct();
+end
+
+% finalise options structure
+options = pspm_options(options, 'expand_epochs');
+
+% check if expansion vector is valid
+if  ~isnumeric(expansion) || numel(expansion) ~= 2
+    warning('Invalid input to expand vector musst be 1x2 or 2x1.');
+    return;
+end
+
+% work on input
+% -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+% construct epochs from data file
+if strcmpi(mode, 'datafile')
+    
+    [lsts, ~, data] = pspm_load_data(fn, channel);
+    if lsts < 1
+        return;
+    end
+
+    channel_data = data{1};
+    sr = channel_data.header.sr;
+
+    % Find NaN indices
+    nan_indices = isnan(channel_data.data);
+
+    % Convert NaN indices to epochs
+    epochs = pspm_logical2epochs(nan_indices, sr);
+
+end
+
+% expand epochs
+pre = expansion(1);
+post = expansion(2);
+expanded_epochs_temp = [epochs(:,1) - pre, epochs(:,2) + post];
+% remove negative values and merge overlapping epochs
+[ksts, expanded_epochs] = pspm_get_timing('missing',expanded_epochs_temp , 'seconds') ;
+if ksts < 1 
+    return
+end
+
+% generate output
+switch mode
+    case 'epochs'
+        out = expanded_epochs;
+    
+    case 'epochfile'
+        % save expanded epochs to a new file with 'e' prefix
+            [pathstr, name, ext] = fileparts(fn);
+            output_file = fullfile(pathstr, ['e', name, ext]);
+            overwrite_final = pspm_overwrite(output_file, options.overwrite);
+            if overwrite_final == 1
+                save(output_file, 'epochs'); 
+                fprintf(['Expanded epochs saved to file: ', output_file, '\n']);
+            end
+    
+    case 'datafile'
+
+    % Convert expanded epochs back to logical indices
+    expanded_indices = pspm_epochs2logical(expanded_epochs, numel(channel_data.data), sr);
+
+    % Set data to NaN at expanded indices
+    channel_data.data(logical(expanded_indices)) = NaN;
+
+    % Save the data 
+    [wsts, out] = pspm_write_channel(fn, {channel_data}, options.channel_action, struct('channel', channel)); 
+    if wsts < 1
+        return
+    end
+    out = out.channel;
+end
+
+sts = 1;
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/pspm_options.m b/src/pspm_options.m
index b97dff4ab..ec95ca1e4 100644
--- a/src/pspm_options.m
+++ b/src/pspm_options.m
@@ -496,6 +496,10 @@
         % 2.48 pspm_combine_markerchannels
         options = autofill(options, 'marker_chan_num',        'marker',   '*Int*Char'       );
         options = autofill_channel_action(options);
+    case 'expand_epochs'
+        % 2.49 pspm_expand_epochs
+        options = autofill(options, 'overwrite',              2,          [0,1]             );
+        options = autofill_channel_action(options);
 end
 return
 
diff --git a/src/pspm_remove_epochs.m b/src/pspm_remove_epochs.m
index 3236a1a47..3714b8ae7 100644
--- a/src/pspm_remove_epochs.m
+++ b/src/pspm_remove_epochs.m
@@ -12,14 +12,16 @@
 %                 be in seconds. This parameter is passed to pspm_get_timing().
 %   * timeunits:  timeunits of the epochfile.
 %   ┌───options
-%   └─.channel_action:
-%                 ['add'/'replace'] Defines whether new channels should be added or
-%                 corresponding channels should be replaced. The default value is 'add'.
+%   ├─.channel_action: ['add'/'replace'] Defines whether new channels should be added or
+%   │                  corresponding channels should be replaced. The default value is 'add'.
+%   └─.expand_epochs:  [pre, post]
+%                              
 % ● Output
 %   * channel_index: index of channel containing the processed data
 % ● History
 %   Introduced in PsPM 4.0
 %   Written in 2016 by Tobias Moser (University of Zurich)
+%   Maintained in 2024 by Bernhard Agoué von Raußendorf
 
 global settings
 if isempty(settings)
@@ -42,15 +44,32 @@
 end
 [lsts, ~, data, filestruct] = pspm_load_data(datafile, channel);
 pos_of_channels = filestruct.posofchannels;
-if lsts == -1
+if lsts < 1
   return;
 end
 
 [lsts, ep] = pspm_get_timing('epochs', epochfile, 'seconds');
-if lsts == -1
+if lsts < 1
   return;
 end
 
+
+% expands the epoch if  options.expand_epochs exists
+if isfield(options,'expand_epochs')
+    if numel(options.expand_epochs) ~= 2 || ~isnumeric(options.expand_epochs)
+        warning('Expansion must be a 2-element vector [pre, post].');
+    else
+        [psts, ep] = pspm_expand_epochs(ep, options.expand_epochs);
+        if psts < 1
+            return;
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+
+
+
+
 n_ep = size(ep, 1);
 n_data = numel(data);
 for i_data = 1:n_data
@@ -76,6 +95,7 @@
   end
 end
 % save data to file
+
 [sts, out] = pspm_write_channel(datafile, data, options.channel_action, ...
     struct('channel', pos_of_channels));
-outchanel = out.channel;
+outchanel = out.channel;
\ No newline at end of file