diff --git a/plugins/libimhex/include/hex/pattern_language/ast_node.hpp b/plugins/libimhex/include/hex/pattern_language/ast_node.hpp
index de72e7287..7bb8741f1 100644
--- a/plugins/libimhex/include/hex/pattern_language/ast_node.hpp
+++ b/plugins/libimhex/include/hex/pattern_language/ast_node.hpp
@@ -1334,11 +1334,14 @@ namespace hex::pl {
                         [](auto &&offset) -> u8 { return static_cast<u8>(offset); }
                 }, dynamic_cast<ASTNodeLiteral*>(literal)->getValue());
 
-                auto field = new PatternDataBitfieldField(evaluator->dataOffset(), bitOffset, bitSize, evaluator);
-                field->setVariableName(name);
+                // If a field is named padding, it was created through a padding expression and only advances the bit position
+                if (name != "padding") {
+                    auto field = new PatternDataBitfieldField(evaluator->dataOffset(), bitOffset, bitSize, evaluator);
+                    field->setVariableName(name);
+                    fields.push_back(field);
+                }
 
                 bitOffset += bitSize;
-                fields.push_back(field);
             }
             evaluator->popScope();
 
diff --git a/plugins/libimhex/source/pattern_language/parser.cpp b/plugins/libimhex/source/pattern_language/parser.cpp
index 5ec25a8bc..6f59ac446 100644
--- a/plugins/libimhex/source/pattern_language/parser.cpp
+++ b/plugins/libimhex/source/pattern_language/parser.cpp
@@ -986,8 +986,9 @@ namespace hex::pl {
             if (MATCHES(sequence(IDENTIFIER, OPERATOR_INHERIT))) {
                 auto name = getValue<Token::Identifier>(-2).get();
                 bitfieldNode->addEntry(name, parseMathematicalExpression());
-            }
-            else if (MATCHES(sequence(SEPARATOR_ENDOFPROGRAM)))
+            } else if (MATCHES(sequence(VALUETYPE_PADDING, OPERATOR_INHERIT))) {
+              bitfieldNode->addEntry("padding", parseMathematicalExpression());
+            } else if (MATCHES(sequence(SEPARATOR_ENDOFPROGRAM)))
                 throwParseError("unexpected end of program", -2);
             else
                 throwParseError("invalid bitfield member", 0);