diff --git a/include/zmq.h b/include/zmq.h
index f93b7a7c..0d1bd147 100644
--- a/include/zmq.h
+++ b/include/zmq.h
@@ -300,6 +300,7 @@ ZMQ_EXPORT char *zmq_msg_gets (zmq_msg_t *msg, char *property);
 #define ZMQ_GSSAPI_PRINCIPAL 63
 #define ZMQ_GSSAPI_SERVICE_PRINCIPAL 64
 #define ZMQ_GSSAPI_PLAINTEXT 65
+#define ZMQ_IDENTITY_FD 66
 
 /*  Message options                                                           */
 #define ZMQ_MORE 1
diff --git a/src/i_engine.hpp b/src/i_engine.hpp
index 49896c21..e406b8fc 100644
--- a/src/i_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/i_engine.hpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #ifndef __ZMQ_I_ENGINE_HPP_INCLUDED__
 #define __ZMQ_I_ENGINE_HPP_INCLUDED__
 
+#include "fd.hpp"
+
 namespace zmq
 {
 
@@ -47,7 +49,10 @@ namespace zmq
         //  are messages to send available.
         virtual void restart_output () = 0;
 
-        virtual void zap_msg_available () = 0;
+        virtual void zap_msg_available () = 0; 
+        
+        // provide a way to link from engine to file descriptor 
+        virtual fd_t get_assoc_fd () { return retired_fd;};
     };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/pipe.cpp b/src/pipe.cpp
index 00fea60a..6fbd91a1 100644
--- a/src/pipe.cpp
+++ b/src/pipe.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ int zmq::pipepair (class object_t *parents_ [2], class pipe_t* pipes_ [2],
 zmq::pipe_t::pipe_t (object_t *parent_, upipe_t *inpipe_, upipe_t *outpipe_,
       int inhwm_, int outhwm_, bool conflate_) :
     object_t (parent_),
+    assoc_fd (retired_fd),
     inpipe (inpipe_),
     outpipe (outpipe_),
     in_active (true),
diff --git a/src/pipe.hpp b/src/pipe.hpp
index d5a69a37..55c66ab6 100644
--- a/src/pipe.hpp
+++ b/src/pipe.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "stdint.hpp"
 #include "array.hpp"
 #include "blob.hpp"
+#include "fd.hpp"
 
 namespace zmq
 {
@@ -117,6 +118,8 @@ namespace zmq
         // set the high water marks.
         void set_hwms (int inhwm_, int outhwm_);
 
+        // provide a way to link pipe to engine fd. Set on session initialization
+        fd_t assoc_fd; //=retired_fd
     private:
 
         //  Type of the underlying lock-free pipe.
diff --git a/src/router.cpp b/src/router.cpp
index fc1035e8..ee696181 100644
--- a/src/router.cpp
+++ b/src/router.cpp
@@ -133,6 +133,33 @@ int zmq::router_t::xsetsockopt (int option_, const void *optval_,
     return -1;
 }
 
+int zmq::router_t::xgetsockopt (int option_, const void *optval_,
+    size_t *optvallen_)
+{
+    switch (option_) {
+        case ZMQ_IDENTITY_FD:
+            if (optval_==NULL && optvallen_) {
+                *optvallen_=sizeof(fd_t);
+                return 0;
+            }
+            if (optval_ && optvallen_ && *optvallen_) {
+                blob_t identity= blob_t((unsigned char*)optval_,*optvallen_);
+                outpipes_t::iterator it = outpipes.find (identity);
+                if (it == outpipes.end() ){
+                    return ENOTSOCK;
+                }
+                *((fd_t*)optval_)=it->second.pipe->assoc_fd;
+                *optvallen_=sizeof(fd_t);
+                return 0;
+            }
+            break;
+        default:
+            break;
+    }
+    errno = EINVAL;
+    return -1;
+}
+
 
 void zmq::router_t::xpipe_terminated (pipe_t *pipe_)
 {
diff --git a/src/router.hpp b/src/router.hpp
index f5b1ff6c..cfc63bd4 100644
--- a/src/router.hpp
+++ b/src/router.hpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ namespace zmq
         //  Overrides of functions from socket_base_t.
         void xattach_pipe (zmq::pipe_t *pipe_, bool subscribe_to_all_);
         int xsetsockopt (int option_, const void *optval_, size_t optvallen_);
+        int xgetsockopt (int option_, const void *optval_, size_t *optvallen_);
         int xsend (zmq::msg_t *msg_);
         int xrecv (zmq::msg_t *msg_);
         bool xhas_in ();
@@ -54,7 +55,6 @@ namespace zmq
         void xread_activated (zmq::pipe_t *pipe_);
         void xwrite_activated (zmq::pipe_t *pipe_);
         void xpipe_terminated (zmq::pipe_t *pipe_);
-
     protected:
 
         //  Rollback any message parts that were sent but not yet flushed.
diff --git a/src/session_base.cpp b/src/session_base.cpp
index 45682954..756d8df4 100644
--- a/src/session_base.cpp
+++ b/src/session_base.cpp
@@ -353,7 +353,8 @@ void zmq::session_base_t::process_attach (i_engine *engine_)
         //  Remember the local end of the pipe.
         zmq_assert (!pipe);
         pipe = pipes [0];
-
+        // Store engine assoc_fd for lilnking pipe to fd 
+        pipe->assoc_fd=engine_->get_assoc_fd();
         //  Ask socket to plug into the remote end of the pipe.
         send_bind (socket, pipes [1]);
     }
diff --git a/src/socket_base.cpp b/src/socket_base.cpp
index d467ceb8..1101b967 100644
--- a/src/socket_base.cpp
+++ b/src/socket_base.cpp
@@ -284,6 +284,11 @@ int zmq::socket_base_t::getsockopt (int option_, void *optval_,
         errno = ETERM;
         return -1;
     }
+    
+    //  First, check whether specific socket type overloads the option.
+    int rc = xgetsockopt (option_, optval_, optvallen_);
+    if (rc == 0 || errno != EINVAL)
+        return rc;
 
     if (option_ == ZMQ_RCVMORE) {
         if (*optvallen_ < sizeof (int)) {
@@ -1037,6 +1042,11 @@ int zmq::socket_base_t::xsetsockopt (int, const void *, size_t)
     errno = EINVAL;
     return -1;
 }
+int zmq::socket_base_t::xgetsockopt (int, const void *, size_t*)
+{
+    errno = EINVAL;
+    return -1;
+}
 
 bool zmq::socket_base_t::xhas_out ()
 {
diff --git a/src/socket_base.hpp b/src/socket_base.hpp
index efb0cced..7038ed2b 100644
--- a/src/socket_base.hpp
+++ b/src/socket_base.hpp
@@ -133,10 +133,13 @@ namespace zmq
 
         //  The default implementation assumes there are no specific socket
         //  options for the particular socket type. If not so, override this
-        //  method.
+        //  methods.
         virtual int xsetsockopt (int option_, const void *optval_,
             size_t optvallen_);
 
+        virtual int xgetsockopt (int option_, const void *optval_,
+            size_t *optvallen_);
+
         //  The default implementation assumes that send is not supported.
         virtual bool xhas_out ();
         virtual int xsend (zmq::msg_t *msg_);
diff --git a/src/stream_engine.hpp b/src/stream_engine.hpp
index 4e9e7915..c5c148a3 100644
--- a/src/stream_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/stream_engine.hpp
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ namespace zmq
         void in_event ();
         void out_event ();
 
+        // export s via i_engine so it is possible to link a pipe to fd
+        fd_t get_assoc_fd (){ return s; };
     private:
 
         //  Unplug the engine from the session.