diff --git a/documentation/main.md b/documentation/main.md
index 4dd66a4..29fc2f9 100644
--- a/documentation/main.md
+++ b/documentation/main.md
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ values of the form:
     {"iso3": "AFG", "pcode": "AF01", "name": "Kabul"}
 
 Method *setup_from_libhxl_dataset* takes a libhxl Dataset object, while
-*setup_from_url* takes a URL which defaults to the global p-codes dataset on
-HDX.
+*setup_from_url* takes a URL which defaults to a resource in the global p-codes
+dataset on HDX.
 
 These methods also have optional parameter *countryiso3s* which is a tuple or
 list of country ISO3 codes to be read or None if all countries are desired.
@@ -142,6 +142,22 @@ Examples of usage:
     adminlevel.get_pcode("YEM", "Al Dhale"e / الضالع")  # returns ("YE30", False)
     adminlevel.get_pcode("YEM", "Al Dhale"e / الضالع", fuzzy_match=False)  # returns (None, True)
 
+There is basic admin 1 p-code length conversion by default. A more advanced
+p-code length conversion can be activated by calling *load_pcode_formats*
+which takes a URL that defaults to a resource in the global p-codes dataset on
+HDX:
+
+    admintwo.load_pcode_formats()
+    admintwo.get_pcode("YEM", "YEM30001")  # returns ("YE3001", True)
+
+The length conversion can be further enhanced by supplying either parent
+AdminLevel objects in a list or lists of p-codes per parent admin level:
+
+    admintwo.set_parent_admins_from_adminlevels([adminone])
+    admintwo.get_pcode("NER", "NE00409")  # returns ("NER004009", True)
+    admintwo.set_parent_admins([adminone.pcodes])
+    admintwo.get_pcode("NER", "NE00409")  # returns ("NER004009", True)
+
 ## Currencies
 
 Various functions support the conversion of monetary amounts to USD. Note that the
diff --git a/src/hdx/location/adminlevel.py b/src/hdx/location/adminlevel.py
index 888baaf..147622e 100755
--- a/src/hdx/location/adminlevel.py
+++ b/src/hdx/location/adminlevel.py
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.pcode_to_iso3 = {}
         self.pcode_formats = {}
         self.zeroes = {}
+        self.parent_admins = []
 
         self.init_matches_errors()
         self.phonetics = Phonetics()
@@ -217,6 +218,32 @@ def load_pcode_formats(self, formats_url: str = _formats_url) -> None:
             for x in re.finditer("0", pcode):
                 dict_of_sets_add(self.zeroes, countryiso3, x.start())
 
+    def set_parent_admins(self, parent_admins: List[List]) -> None:
+        """
+        Set parent admins
+
+        Args:
+            parent_admins (List[List]): List of P-codes per parent admin
+
+        Returns:
+            None
+        """
+        self.parent_admins = parent_admins
+
+    def set_parent_admins_from_adminlevels(
+        self, adminlevels: List["AdminLevel"]
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        Set parent admins from AdminLevel objects
+
+        Args:
+            parent_admins (List[AdminLevel]): List of parent AdminLevel objects
+
+        Returns:
+            None
+        """
+        self.parent_admins = [adminlevel.pcodes for adminlevel in adminlevels]
+
     def get_pcode_list(self) -> List[str]:
         """Get list of all pcodes
 
@@ -325,11 +352,39 @@ def convert_admin_pcode_length(
             if len_new_pcode < total_length:
                 if pos in self.zeroes[countryiso3]:
                     pcode_part = f"0{pcode_part}"
-                admin_changes.append(str(admin_no))
+                    if self.parent_admins and admin_no < self.admin_level:
+                        parent_pcode = [
+                            pcode_parts[i] for i in range(admin_no)
+                        ]
+                        parent_pcode.append(pcode_part[:admin_length])
+                        parent_pcode = "".join(parent_pcode)
+                        if (
+                            parent_pcode
+                            not in self.parent_admins[admin_no - 1]
+                        ):
+                            pcode_part = pcode_part[1:]
+                        else:
+                            admin_changes.append(str(admin_no))
+                    else:
+                        admin_changes.append(str(admin_no))
             elif len_new_pcode > total_length:
                 if admin_length == 2 and pcode_parts[admin_no][0] == "0":
                     pcode_part = pcode_part[1:]
-                    admin_changes.append(str(admin_no))
+                    if self.parent_admins and admin_no < self.admin_level:
+                        parent_pcode = [
+                            pcode_parts[i] for i in range(admin_no)
+                        ]
+                        parent_pcode.append(pcode_part[:admin_length])
+                        parent_pcode = "".join(parent_pcode)
+                        if (
+                            parent_pcode
+                            not in self.parent_admins[admin_no - 1]
+                        ):
+                            pcode_part = f"0{pcode_part}"
+                        else:
+                            admin_changes.append(str(admin_no))
+                    else:
+                        admin_changes.append(str(admin_no))
             pcode_parts[admin_no] = pcode_part[:admin_length]
             pcode_parts.append(pcode_part[admin_length:])
             new_pcode = "".join(pcode_parts)
diff --git a/tests/hdx/location/test_adminlevel.py b/tests/hdx/location/test_adminlevel.py
index 71059a9..73c59cc 100755
--- a/tests/hdx/location/test_adminlevel.py
+++ b/tests/hdx/location/test_adminlevel.py
@@ -385,11 +385,24 @@ def test_adminlevel_pcode_formats(self, config, url, formats_url):
             True,
         )
         # Algorithm inserts 0 to make NER000409 and hence fails (it has no
-        # knowledge that NER000 is an invalid admin 1 and could consider
-        # adding this knowledge if it proves necessary)
+        # knowledge that NER000 is an invalid admin 1)
         assert admintwo.get_pcode(
             "NER", "NE00409", logname="test", fuzzy_match=False
         ) == (
             None,
             True,
         )
+        admintwo.set_parent_admins_from_adminlevels([adminone])
+        # The lookup in admin1 reveals that adding a 0 prefix to the admin1
+        # is not a valid admin1 (NER000) so the algorithm tries adding
+        # the 0 prefix at the admin2 level instead and hence succeeds
+        assert admintwo.get_pcode("NER", "NE00409", logname="test") == (
+            "NER004009",
+            True,
+        )
+
+        admintwo.set_parent_admins([adminone.pcodes])
+        assert admintwo.get_pcode("NER", "NE00409", logname="test") == (
+            "NER004009",
+            True,
+        )