diff --git a/Tests/test_file_bmp.py b/Tests/test_file_bmp.py
index f6860a9a43d..5f6d523558a 100644
--- a/Tests/test_file_bmp.py
+++ b/Tests/test_file_bmp.py
@@ -176,6 +176,11 @@ def test_rle8():
                 im.load()
 
 
+def test_rle4():
+    with Image.open("Tests/images/bmp/g/pal4rle.bmp") as im:
+        assert_image_similar_tofile(im, "Tests/images/bmp/g/pal4.bmp", 12)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "file_name,length",
     (
diff --git a/docs/handbook/image-file-formats.rst b/docs/handbook/image-file-formats.rst
index dc629666c30..1e79db68bcb 100644
--- a/docs/handbook/image-file-formats.rst
+++ b/docs/handbook/image-file-formats.rst
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ BMP
 ^^^
 
 Pillow reads and writes Windows and OS/2 BMP files containing ``1``, ``L``, ``P``,
-or ``RGB`` data. 16-colour images are read as ``P`` images. 4-bit run-length encoding
-is not supported. Support for reading 8-bit run-length encoding was added in Pillow
-9.1.0.
+or ``RGB`` data. 16-colour images are read as ``P`` images.
+Support for reading 8-bit run-length encoding was added in Pillow 9.1.0.
+Support for reading 4-bit run-length encoding was added in Pillow 9.3.0.
 
 Opening
 ~~~~~~~
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ The :py:meth:`~PIL.Image.open` method sets the following
 :py:attr:`~PIL.Image.Image.info` properties:
 
 **compression**
-    Set to ``bmp_rle`` if the file is run-length encoded.
+    Set to 1 if the file is a 256-color run-length encoded image.
+    Set to 2 if the file is a 16-color run-length encoded image.
 
 DDS
 ^^^
diff --git a/src/PIL/BmpImagePlugin.py b/src/PIL/BmpImagePlugin.py
index 1041ab763d2..bdf51aa5cf1 100644
--- a/src/PIL/BmpImagePlugin.py
+++ b/src/PIL/BmpImagePlugin.py
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ def _bitmap(self, header=0, offset=0):
         elif file_info["compression"] == self.RAW:
             if file_info["bits"] == 32 and header == 22:  # 32-bit .cur offset
                 raw_mode, self.mode = "BGRA", "RGBA"
-        elif file_info["compression"] == self.RLE8:
+        elif file_info["compression"] in (self.RLE8, self.RLE4):
             decoder_name = "bmp_rle"
         else:
             raise OSError(f"Unsupported BMP compression ({file_info['compression']})")
@@ -250,16 +250,18 @@ def _bitmap(self, header=0, offset=0):
 
         # ---------------------------- Finally set the tile data for the plugin
         self.info["compression"] = file_info["compression"]
+        args = [raw_mode]
+        if decoder_name == "bmp_rle":
+            args.append(file_info["compression"] == self.RLE4)
+        else:
+            args.append(((file_info["width"] * file_info["bits"] + 31) >> 3) & (~3))
+        args.append(file_info["direction"])
         self.tile = [
             (
                 decoder_name,
                 (0, 0, file_info["width"], file_info["height"]),
                 offset or self.fp.tell(),
-                (
-                    raw_mode,
-                    ((file_info["width"] * file_info["bits"] + 31) >> 3) & (~3),
-                    file_info["direction"],
-                ),
+                tuple(args),
             )
         ]
 
@@ -280,6 +282,7 @@ class BmpRleDecoder(ImageFile.PyDecoder):
     _pulls_fd = True
 
     def decode(self, buffer):
+        rle4 = self.args[1]
         data = bytearray()
         x = 0
         while len(data) < self.state.xsize * self.state.ysize:
@@ -293,7 +296,16 @@ def decode(self, buffer):
                 if x + num_pixels > self.state.xsize:
                     # Too much data for row
                     num_pixels = max(0, self.state.xsize - x)
-                data += byte * num_pixels
+                if rle4:
+                    first_pixel = o8(byte[0] >> 4)
+                    second_pixel = o8(byte[0] & 0x0F)
+                    for index in range(num_pixels):
+                        if index % 2 == 0:
+                            data += first_pixel
+                        else:
+                            data += second_pixel
+                else:
+                    data += byte * num_pixels
                 x += num_pixels
             else:
                 if byte[0] == 0:
@@ -314,9 +326,18 @@ def decode(self, buffer):
                     x = len(data) % self.state.xsize
                 else:
                     # absolute mode
-                    bytes_read = self.fd.read(byte[0])
-                    data += bytes_read
-                    if len(bytes_read) < byte[0]:
+                    if rle4:
+                        # 2 pixels per byte
+                        byte_count = byte[0] // 2
+                        bytes_read = self.fd.read(byte_count)
+                        for byte_read in bytes_read:
+                            data += o8(byte_read >> 4)
+                            data += o8(byte_read & 0x0F)
+                    else:
+                        byte_count = byte[0]
+                        bytes_read = self.fd.read(byte_count)
+                        data += bytes_read
+                    if len(bytes_read) < byte_count:
                         break
                     x += byte[0]