diff --git a/src/commit.c b/src/commit.c
index 6fcbfd734..b8d9f8784 100644
--- a/src/commit.c
+++ b/src/commit.c
@@ -257,6 +257,21 @@ time_t git_commit_time(git_commit *commit)
 	return commit->commit_time;
 }
 
+unsigned int git_commit_parentcount(git_commit *commit)
+{
+	git_commit_parents *parent;
+	unsigned int count = 0;
+
+	assert(commit);
+	CHECK_FULL_PARSE();
+
+	for (parent = commit->parents; parent != NULL; parent = parent->next) {
+		count++;
+	}
+
+	return count;
+}
+
 void git_commit_set_tree(git_commit *commit, git_tree *tree)
 {
 	assert(commit && tree);
diff --git a/src/git/commit.h b/src/git/commit.h
index 8cb3401b6..cc4e7a073 100644
--- a/src/git/commit.h
+++ b/src/git/commit.h
@@ -93,6 +93,14 @@ GIT_EXTERN(const git_person *) git_commit_author(git_commit *commit);
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(const git_tree *) git_commit_tree(git_commit *commit);
 
+/**
+ * Get the number of parents of this commit
+ *
+ * @param commit a previously loaded commit.
+ * @return integer of count of parents
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(unsigned int) git_commit_parentcount(git_commit *commit);
+
 /**
  * Add a new parent commit to an existing commit
  * @param commit the commit object
diff --git a/tests/t0402-details.c b/tests/t0402-details.c
index 22d1f8eba..65a349238 100644
--- a/tests/t0402-details.c
+++ b/tests/t0402-details.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(query_details_test)
 		const git_person *author, *committer;
 		const char *message, *message_short;
 		time_t commit_time;
+		unsigned int parents;
 
 		git_oid_mkstr(&id, commit_ids[i]);
 
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(query_details_test)
 		author = git_commit_author(commit);
 		committer = git_commit_committer(commit);
 		commit_time = git_commit_time(commit);
+		parents = git_commit_parentcount(commit);
 
 		must_be_true(strcmp(author->name, "Scott Chacon") == 0);
 		must_be_true(strcmp(author->email, "schacon@gmail.com") == 0);
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(query_details_test)
 		must_be_true(strchr(message, '\n') != NULL);
 		must_be_true(strchr(message_short, '\n') == NULL);
 		must_be_true(commit_time > 0);
+		must_be_true(0 <= parents && parents <= 2);
 	}
 
 	git_repository_free(repo);