diff --git a/include/aare/utils/SparseMask.hpp b/include/aare/utils/SparseMask.hpp
index 95b6966..acb1e4f 100644
--- a/include/aare/utils/SparseMask.hpp
+++ b/include/aare/utils/SparseMask.hpp
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ class SparseMask {
 
     void write_to_file(const std::filesystem::path &filename) const;
 
+    /// @brief Get number of bad channels
+    size_t num_bad_channels() const;
+
   private:
     /// @brief stoarge format of the sparse mask, either row major or column
     /// major
diff --git a/python/aare/__init__.py b/python/aare/__init__.py
index 10872f8..35f90ed 100644
--- a/python/aare/__init__.py
+++ b/python/aare/__init__.py
@@ -54,3 +54,5 @@ from ._aare import (
     PixelHistogram_u32,
     PixelHistogram_u64,
 )
+
+from ._aare import SparseMask
diff --git a/python/src/module.cpp b/python/src/module.cpp
index 023a19e..e8d2c5c 100644
--- a/python/src/module.cpp
+++ b/python/src/module.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "bind_PixelMap.hpp"
 #include "bind_RawFile.hpp"
 #include "bind_calibration.hpp"
+#include "utils/bind_SparseMask.hpp"
 
 // TODO! migrate the other names
 #include "ctb_raw_file.hpp"
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_aare, m) {
     define_fit_bindings(m);
     define_interpolation_bindings(m);
     define_jungfrau_data_file_io_bindings(m);
+    define_sparse_mask_bindings(m);
 
     bind_calibration(m);
 
diff --git a/src/utils/SparseMask.cpp b/src/utils/SparseMask.cpp
index cbbbc3b..b49d164 100644
--- a/src/utils/SparseMask.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/SparseMask.cpp
@@ -61,4 +61,6 @@ bool SparseMask::is_masked(const size_t row, const size_t col) const {
     }
 }
 
+size_t SparseMask::num_bad_channels() const { return innerindices_.size(); }
+
 } // namespace aare
\ No newline at end of file