A method and an arrangement for detecting a multi-bit watermark in a signal (e.g. a video image) are disclosed. Each bit of the multi-bit value is represented by an embedded watermark subpattern in the signal. Instead of detecting in a conventional manner the presence of each individual subpattern (i.e. detecting each individual bit), the detection comprises the steps of: detecting (24,23) the presence of the full watermark in the signal irrespective of its multi-bit value, and detecting (25) to which extent the presence of subpatterns corresponds with the multi-bit value to be checked. The reliability of watermark detection is hereby improved.