diff --git a/src/time/cuc.rs b/src/time/cuc.rs
index 8df6a07..b18a8be 100644
--- a/src/time/cuc.rs
+++ b/src/time/cuc.rs
@@ -156,8 +156,10 @@ pub struct FractionalPart(FractionalResolution, u32);
 /// It has the capability to generate and read timestamps as specified in the CCSDS 301.0-B-4
 /// section 3.2 . The preamble field only has one byte, which allows a time code representation
 /// through the year 2094. The time is represented as a simple binary counter starting from the
-/// fixed CCSDS epoch (1958-01-01T00:00:00+00:00). It is possible to provide subsecond accuracy
-/// using the fractional field with various available [resolutions][FractionalResolution].
+/// fixed CCSDS epoch 1958-01-01T00:00:00+00:00 using the TAI reference time scale. This time
+/// code provides the advantage of being truly monotonic.
+/// It is possible to provide subsecond accuracy using the fractional field with various available
+/// [resolutions][FractionalResolution].
 ///
 /// Having a preamble field of one byte limits the width of the counter
 /// type (generally seconds) to 4 bytes and the width of the fractions type to 3 bytes. This limits
@@ -167,6 +169,9 @@ pub struct FractionalPart(FractionalResolution, u32);
 /// leap seconds corrections need to be applied to support the trait methods. Instead, it needs
 /// to be converted to a [CucTimeWithLeapSecs] object using the [Self::to_leap_sec_helper] method.
 ///
+/// This time code is not UTC based. Conversion to UTC based times, for example a UNIX timestamp,
+/// can be performed by subtracting the current number of leap seconds.
+///
 /// # Example
 ///
 /// ```
@@ -361,13 +366,18 @@ impl CucTime {
         res: FractionalResolution,
         leap_seconds: u32,
     ) -> Result<Self, TimestampError> {
-        let mut counter = unix_epoch_to_ccsds_epoch(unix_stamp.secs);
+        let counter = unix_epoch_to_ccsds_epoch(unix_stamp.secs);
         // Negative CCSDS epoch is invalid.
         if counter < 0 {
             return Err(TimestampError::DateBeforeCcsdsEpoch(*unix_stamp));
         }
+        // We already excluded negative values, so the conversion to u64 should always work.
+        let mut counter = u32::try_from(counter).map_err(|_| CucError::InvalidCounter {
+            width: 4,
+            counter: counter as u64,
+        })?;
         counter = counter
-            .checked_add(i64::from(leap_seconds))
+            .checked_add(leap_seconds)
             .ok_or(TimestampError::Cuc(CucError::LeapSecondCorrectionError))?;
         let fractions =
             fractional_part_from_subsec_ns(res, unix_stamp.subsec_millis() as u64 * 10_u64.pow(6));
@@ -435,7 +445,7 @@ impl CucTime {
         if counter.1 > (2u64.pow(counter.0 as u32 * 8) - 1) as u32 {
             return Err(CucError::InvalidCounter {
                 width: counter.0,
-                counter: counter.1 as u64,
+                counter: counter.1.into(),
             });
         }
         if let Some(fractions) = fractions {
@@ -704,9 +714,7 @@ impl CcsdsTimeProvider for CucTimeWithLeapSecs {
     }
 
     fn unix_secs(&self) -> i64 {
-        ccsds_epoch_to_unix_epoch(self.time.counter.1 as i64)
-            .checked_sub(self.leap_seconds as i64)
-            .unwrap()
+        self.time.unix_secs(self.leap_seconds)
     }
 
     fn subsec_nanos(&self) -> u32 {