diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am
index d02fbb17..b139b2ca 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ MAN3 = zmq_bind.3 zmq_unbind.3 zmq_connect.3 zmq_disconnect.3 zmq_close.3 \
     zmq_msg_move.3 zmq_msg_copy.3 zmq_msg_size.3 zmq_msg_data.3 zmq_msg_close.3 \
     zmq_msg_send.3 zmq_msg_recv.3 \
     zmq_send.3 zmq_recv.3 zmq_send_const.3 \
-    zmq_msg_get.3 zmq_msg_set.3 zmq_msg_more.3 \
+    zmq_msg_get.3 zmq_msg_set.3 zmq_msg_more.3 zmq_msg_gets.3 \
     zmq_getsockopt.3 zmq_setsockopt.3 \
     zmq_socket.3 zmq_socket_monitor.3 zmq_poll.3 \
     zmq_errno.3 zmq_strerror.3 zmq_version.3 \
diff --git a/doc/zmq_msg_gets.txt b/doc/zmq_msg_gets.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f979d843
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/zmq_msg_gets.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+zmq_msg_gets(3)
+===============
+
+
+NAME
+----
+zmq_msg_gets - get message metadata property
+
+
+SYNOPSIS
+--------
+*char *zmq_msg_gets (zmq_msg_t '*message', char *'property');*
+
+
+DESCRIPTION
+-----------
+The _zmq_msg_gets()_ function shall return the string value for the metadata
+property specified by the 'property' argument for the message pointed to by
+the 'message' argument.
+
+The following properties can be retrieved with the _zmq_msg_get()_ function:
+
+
+RETURN VALUE
+------------
+The _zmq_msg_gets()_ function shall return the string value for the property
+if successful. Otherwise it shall return NULL and set 'errno' to one of the
+values defined below. The caller shall not modify or free the returned value,
+which shall be owned by the message.
+
+
+ERRORS
+------
+*EINVAL*::
+The requested _property_ is unknown.
+
+
+EXAMPLE
+-------
+.To be done
+----
+zmq_msg_t frame;
+----
+
+
+SEE ALSO
+--------
+linkzmq:zmq[7]
+
+
+AUTHORS
+-------
+This page was written by the 0MQ community. To make a change please
+read the 0MQ Contribution Policy at <http://www.zeromq.org/docs:contributing>.
diff --git a/include/zmq.h b/include/zmq.h
index 408ed469..ea9b8a70 100644
--- a/include/zmq.h
+++ b/include/zmq.h
@@ -216,8 +216,9 @@ ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_msg_copy (zmq_msg_t *dest, zmq_msg_t *src);
 ZMQ_EXPORT void *zmq_msg_data (zmq_msg_t *msg);
 ZMQ_EXPORT size_t zmq_msg_size (zmq_msg_t *msg);
 ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_msg_more (zmq_msg_t *msg);
-ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_msg_get (zmq_msg_t *msg, int option);
-ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_msg_set (zmq_msg_t *msg, int option, int optval);
+ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_msg_get (zmq_msg_t *msg, int property);
+ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_msg_set (zmq_msg_t *msg, int property, int optval);
+ZMQ_EXPORT char *zmq_msg_gets (zmq_msg_t *msg, char *property);
 
 
 /******************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/zmq.cpp b/src/zmq.cpp
index 2ae59efe..603abed1 100644
--- a/src/zmq.cpp
+++ b/src/zmq.cpp
@@ -620,9 +620,9 @@ int zmq_msg_more (zmq_msg_t *msg_)
     return zmq_msg_get (msg_, ZMQ_MORE);
 }
 
-int zmq_msg_get (zmq_msg_t *msg_, int option_)
+int zmq_msg_get (zmq_msg_t *msg_, int property_)
 {
-    switch (option_) {
+    switch (property_) {
         case ZMQ_MORE:
             return (((zmq::msg_t*) msg_)->flags () & zmq::msg_t::more)? 1: 0;
         case ZMQ_SRCFD:
@@ -635,11 +635,20 @@ int zmq_msg_get (zmq_msg_t *msg_, int option_)
 
 int zmq_msg_set (zmq_msg_t *, int, int)
 {
-    //  No options supported at present
+    //  No properties supported at present
     errno = EINVAL;
     return -1;
 }
 
+
+//  Get message metadata string
+
+char *zmq_msg_gets (zmq_msg_t *msg_, char *property_)
+{
+    //  All unknown properties return NULL
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 // Polling.
 
 int zmq_poll (zmq_pollitem_t *items_, int nitems_, long timeout_)