diff --git a/websocketpp/connection.hpp b/websocketpp/connection.hpp
index a4dcd02ba1..08a9242654 100644
--- a/websocketpp/connection.hpp
+++ b/websocketpp/connection.hpp
@@ -571,6 +571,22 @@ public:
     // Pass-through access to the request and response objects //
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     
+    /// Retrieve a request header
+    /**
+     * Retrieve the value of a header from the handshake HTTP request.
+     * 
+     * @param key Name of the header to get
+     */
+    const std::string & get_request_header(const std::string &key);
+    
+    /// Retrieve a response header
+    /**
+     * Retrieve the value of a header from the handshake HTTP request.
+     * 
+     * @param key Name of the header to get
+     */
+    const std::string & get_response_header(const std::string &key);
+    
     /// Set response status code and message
     /**
      * Sets the response status code to `code` and looks up the corresponding
diff --git a/websocketpp/impl/connection_impl.hpp b/websocketpp/impl/connection_impl.hpp
index 8328f6c426..d7a7af3afb 100644
--- a/websocketpp/impl/connection_impl.hpp
+++ b/websocketpp/impl/connection_impl.hpp
@@ -359,6 +359,19 @@ void connection<config>::select_subprotocol(const std::string & value) {
     }
 }
 
+
+template <typename config>
+const std::string & 
+connection<config>::get_request_header(const std::string &key) {
+    return m_request.get_header(key);
+}
+
+template <typename config>
+const std::string & 
+connection<config>::get_response_header(const std::string &key) {
+    return m_response.get_header(key);
+}
+
 template <typename config>
 void connection<config>::set_status(
     http::status_code::value code)