diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 776e791c..e3dd319f 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -50,4 +50,5 @@ Patches and Suggestions
 - Dan Head
 - Bruno Renié
 - David Fischer
-- Joseph McCullough
\ No newline at end of file
+- Joseph McCullough
+- Juergen Brendel
diff --git a/requests/__init__.py b/requests/__init__.py
index 027ea3c5..e3a9d2a0 100644
--- a/requests/__init__.py
+++ b/requests/__init__.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ __copyright__ = 'Copyright 2011 Kenneth Reitz'
 
 from . import utils
 from .models import Request, Response
-from .api import request, get, head, post, patch, put, delete
+from .api import request, get, head, post, patch, put, delete, options
 from .sessions import session, Session
 from .status_codes import codes
 from .exceptions import (
diff --git a/requests/api.py b/requests/api.py
index bc9fde7e..ff2e3b34 100644
--- a/requests/api.py
+++ b/requests/api.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ This module implements the Requests API.
 
 from .sessions import session
 
-__all__ = ('request', 'get', 'head', 'post', 'patch', 'put', 'delete')
+__all__ = ('request', 'get', 'options', 'head', 'post', 'patch', 'put', 'delete')
 
 
 def request(method, url,
@@ -68,6 +68,17 @@ def get(url, **kwargs):
     return request('GET', url, **kwargs)
 
 
+def options(url, **kwargs):
+    """Sends a OPTIONS request. Returns :class:`Response` object.
+
+    :param url: URL for the new :class:`Request` object.
+    :param **kwargs: Optional arguments that ``request`` takes.
+    """
+
+    kwargs.setdefault('allow_redirects', True)
+    return request('OPTIONS', url, **kwargs)
+
+
 def head(url, **kwargs):
     """Sends a HEAD request. Returns :class:`Response` object.
 
diff --git a/requests/async.py b/requests/async.py
index 84abd40d..f413526c 100644
--- a/requests/async.py
+++ b/requests/async.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from .hooks import dispatch_hook
 
 __all__ = (
     'map',
-    'get', 'head', 'post', 'put', 'patch', 'delete', 'request'
+    'get', 'options', 'head', 'post', 'put', 'patch', 'delete', 'request'
 )
 
 
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ def send(r, pools=None):
 
 # Patched requests.api functions.
 get = patched(api.get)
+options = patched(api.options)
 head = patched(api.head)
 post = patched(api.post)
 put = patched(api.put)
diff --git a/requests/sessions.py b/requests/sessions.py
index 83bfe129..6f7270bb 100644
--- a/requests/sessions.py
+++ b/requests/sessions.py
@@ -199,6 +199,17 @@ class Session(object):
         return self.request('GET', url, **kwargs)
 
 
+    def options(self, url, **kwargs):
+        """Sends a OPTIONS request. Returns :class:`Response` object.
+
+        :param url: URL for the new :class:`Request` object.
+        :param **kwargs: Optional arguments that ``request`` takes.
+        """
+
+        kwargs.setdefault('allow_redirects', True)
+        return self.request('OPTIONS', url, **kwargs)
+
+
     def head(self, url, **kwargs):
         """Sends a HEAD request. Returns :class:`Response` object.
 
@@ -257,4 +268,4 @@ class Session(object):
 def session(**kwargs):
     """Returns a :class:`Session` for context-management."""
 
-    return Session(**kwargs)
\ No newline at end of file
+    return Session(**kwargs)