diff --git a/include/git2/index.h b/include/git2/index.h
index 1fb77efa3..b44535601 100644
--- a/include/git2/index.h
+++ b/include/git2/index.h
@@ -239,6 +239,14 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_read(git_index *index);
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_write(git_index *index);
 
+/**
+ * Get the full path to the index file on disk.
+ *
+ * @param index an existing index object
+ * @return path to index file or NULL for in-memory index
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(const char *) git_index_path(git_index *index);
+
 /**
  * Read a tree into the index file with stats
  *
diff --git a/src/index.c b/src/index.c
index 21efd2c63..bd5e192f3 100644
--- a/src/index.c
+++ b/src/index.c
@@ -516,6 +516,12 @@ int git_index_write(git_index *index)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+const char * git_index_path(git_index *index)
+{
+	assert(index);
+	return index->index_file_path;
+}
+
 int git_index_write_tree(git_oid *oid, git_index *index)
 {
 	git_repository *repo;