diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 861b632b..420c526a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ test_run_tests_SOURCES = test/blackhole-server.c \
                          test/test-shutdown-twice.c \
                          test/test-signal-multiple-loops.c \
                          test/test-signal.c \
+                         test/test-socket-buffer-size.c \
                          test/test-spawn.c \
                          test/test-stdio-over-pipes.c \
                          test/test-tcp-bind-error.c \
diff --git a/include/uv.h b/include/uv.h
index df6d9549..649758de 100644
--- a/include/uv.h
+++ b/include/uv.h
@@ -602,6 +602,30 @@ UV_EXTERN void uv_walk(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_walk_cb walk_cb, void* arg);
  */
 UV_EXTERN void uv_close(uv_handle_t* handle, uv_close_cb close_cb);
 
+/*
+ * Returns or sets the size of the receive buffer that the operating
+ * system uses for the socket.
+ *
+ * If *value == 0, it will return the current receive buffer size,
+ * otherwise it will use *value to set the new receive buffer size.
+ *
+ * NOTE: linux will set double the size and return double the size
+ *       of the original set value.
+ */
+UV_EXTERN int uv_recv_buffer_size(uv_handle_t* handle, int* value);
+
+/*
+ * Returns or sets the size of the send buffer that the operating
+ * system uses for the socket.
+ *
+ * If *value == 0, it will return the current send buffer size,
+ * otherwise it will use *value to set the new send buffer size.
+ *
+ * NOTE: linux will set double the size and return double the size
+ *       of the original set value.
+ */
+UV_EXTERN int uv_send_buffer_size(uv_handle_t* handle, int* value);
+
 
 /*
  * Constructor for uv_buf_t.
diff --git a/src/unix/core.c b/src/unix/core.c
index 4770d8d8..aaced4c9 100644
--- a/src/unix/core.c
+++ b/src/unix/core.c
@@ -163,6 +163,33 @@ void uv_close(uv_handle_t* handle, uv_close_cb close_cb) {
   uv__make_close_pending(handle);
 }
 
+int uv__socket_sockopt(uv_handle_t* handle, int optname, int* value) {
+  int r;
+  int fd;
+  socklen_t len;
+
+  if (handle == NULL || value == NULL)
+    return -EINVAL;
+
+  if (handle->type == UV_TCP || handle->type == UV_NAMED_PIPE)
+    fd = uv__stream_fd((uv_stream_t*) handle);
+  else if (handle->type == UV_UDP)
+    fd = ((uv_udp_t *) handle)->io_watcher.fd;
+  else
+    return -ENOTSUP;
+
+  len = sizeof(*value);
+
+  if (*value == 0)
+    r = getsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, optname, value, &len);
+  else
+    r = setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, optname, (const void*) value, len);
+
+  if (r < 0)
+    return -errno;
+
+  return 0;
+}
 
 void uv__make_close_pending(uv_handle_t* handle) {
   assert(handle->flags & UV_CLOSING);
diff --git a/src/uv-common.c b/src/uv-common.c
index 86f45a56..e5475acd 100644
--- a/src/uv-common.c
+++ b/src/uv-common.c
@@ -422,6 +422,13 @@ size_t uv__count_bufs(const uv_buf_t bufs[], unsigned int nbufs) {
   return bytes;
 }
 
+int uv_recv_buffer_size(uv_handle_t* handle, int* value) {
+  return uv__socket_sockopt(handle, SO_RCVBUF, value);
+}
+
+int uv_send_buffer_size(uv_handle_t* handle, int *value) {
+  return uv__socket_sockopt(handle, SO_SNDBUF, value);
+}
 
 int uv_fs_event_getpath(uv_fs_event_t* handle, char* buf, size_t* len) {
   size_t required_len;
diff --git a/src/uv-common.h b/src/uv-common.h
index 34c28789..e7af5e9b 100644
--- a/src/uv-common.h
+++ b/src/uv-common.h
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ void uv__work_done(uv_async_t* handle);
 
 size_t uv__count_bufs(const uv_buf_t bufs[], unsigned int nbufs);
 
+int uv__socket_sockopt(uv_handle_t* handle, int optname, int* value);
+
 #define uv__has_active_reqs(loop)                                             \
   (QUEUE_EMPTY(&(loop)->active_reqs) == 0)
 
diff --git a/src/win/core.c b/src/win/core.c
index c3959756..5c3c6390 100644
--- a/src/win/core.c
+++ b/src/win/core.c
@@ -428,3 +428,31 @@ int uv_run(uv_loop_t *loop, uv_run_mode mode) {
 
   return r;
 }
+
+int uv__socket_sockopt(uv_handle_t* handle, int optname, int* value) {
+  int r;
+  int len;
+  SOCKET socket;
+
+  if (handle == NULL || value == NULL)
+    return UV_EINVAL;
+
+  if (handle->type == UV_TCP)
+    socket = ((uv_tcp_t*) handle)->socket;
+  else if (handle->type == UV_UDP)
+    socket = ((uv_udp_t*) handle)->socket;
+  else
+    return UV_ENOTSUP;
+
+  len = sizeof(*value);
+
+  if (*value == 0)
+    r = getsockopt(socket, SOL_SOCKET, optname, (char*) value, &len);
+  else
+    r = setsockopt(socket, SOL_SOCKET, optname, (const char*) value, len);
+
+  if (r == SOCKET_ERROR)
+    return uv_translate_sys_error(WSAGetLastError());
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/test/test-list.h b/test/test-list.h
index 0ce4b4a6..de8d340c 100644
--- a/test/test-list.h
+++ b/test/test-list.h
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (getsockname_tcp)
 TEST_DECLARE   (getsockname_udp)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fail_always)
 TEST_DECLARE   (pass_always)
+TEST_DECLARE   (socket_buffer_size)
 TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_fails)
 TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_exit_code)
 TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_stdout)
@@ -506,6 +507,8 @@ TASK_LIST_START
   TEST_ENTRY  (poll_unidirectional)
   TEST_ENTRY  (poll_close)
 
+  TEST_ENTRY  (socket_buffer_size)
+
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_fails)
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_exit_code)
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_stdout)
diff --git a/test/test-socket-buffer-size.c b/test/test-socket-buffer-size.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..72f8c252
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-socket-buffer-size.c
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/* Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
+ * deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the
+ * rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
+ * sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
+ * IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "uv.h"
+#include "task.h"
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+static uv_udp_t udp;
+static uv_tcp_t tcp;
+static int close_cb_called;
+
+
+static void close_cb(uv_handle_t* handle) {
+  close_cb_called++;
+}
+
+
+static void check_buffer_size(uv_handle_t* handle) {
+  int value;
+
+  value = 0;
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_recv_buffer_size(handle, &value));
+  ASSERT(value > 0);
+
+  value = 10000;
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_recv_buffer_size(handle, &value));
+
+  value = 0;
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_recv_buffer_size(handle, &value));
+  /* linux sets double the value */
+  ASSERT(value == 10000 || value == 20000);
+}
+
+
+TEST_IMPL(socket_buffer_size) {
+  struct sockaddr_in addr;
+
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_ip4_addr("127.0.0.1", TEST_PORT, &addr));
+
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_tcp_init(uv_default_loop(), &tcp));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_tcp_bind(&tcp, (struct sockaddr*) &addr, 0));
+  check_buffer_size((uv_handle_t*) &tcp);
+  uv_close((uv_handle_t*) &tcp, close_cb);
+
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_udp_init(uv_default_loop(), &udp));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_udp_bind(&udp, (struct sockaddr*) &addr, 0));
+  check_buffer_size((uv_handle_t*) &udp);
+  uv_close((uv_handle_t*) &udp, close_cb);
+
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_DEFAULT));
+
+  ASSERT(close_cb_called == 2);
+
+  MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY();
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/uv.gyp b/uv.gyp
index 5b4d69a9..f32f8b42 100644
--- a/uv.gyp
+++ b/uv.gyp
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@
         'test/test-shutdown-twice.c',
         'test/test-signal.c',
         'test/test-signal-multiple-loops.c',
+        'test/test-socket-buffer-size.c',
         'test/test-spawn.c',
         'test/test-fs-poll.c',
         'test/test-stdio-over-pipes.c',