diff --git a/trunk/src/common/tortls.c b/trunk/src/common/tortls.c
index 271c217904..6fb6a2eaeb 100644
--- a/trunk/src/common/tortls.c
+++ b/trunk/src/common/tortls.c
@@ -484,3 +484,9 @@ tor_tls_verify(tor_tls *tls)
   return r;
 }
 
+int 
+tor_tls_get_pending_bytees(tor_tls *tls)
+{
+  assert(tls);
+  return SSL_pending(tls->ssl);
+}
diff --git a/trunk/src/common/tortls.h b/trunk/src/common/tortls.h
index 2c8749cea3..3a517c25de 100644
--- a/trunk/src/common/tortls.h
+++ b/trunk/src/common/tortls.h
@@ -26,5 +26,6 @@ int tor_tls_read(tor_tls *tls, char *cp, int len);
 int tor_tls_write(tor_tls *tls, char *cp, int n);
 int tor_tls_handshake(tor_tls *tls);
 int tor_tls_shutdown(tor_tls *tls);
+int tor_tls_get_pending_bytees(tor_tls *tls);
 
 #endif