diff --git a/src/ExtendedPdo.php b/src/ExtendedPdo.php
index 1b3ed9ca..3139817a 100644
--- a/src/ExtendedPdo.php
+++ b/src/ExtendedPdo.php
@@ -573,6 +573,19 @@ public function getDsn()
         return $this->dsn;
     }
     
+    /**
+     * 
+     * Returns the underlying PDO connection object.
+     * 
+     * @return PDO
+     * 
+     */
+    public function getPdo()
+    {
+        $this->connect();
+        return $this->pdo;
+    }
+
     /**
      * 
      * Returns the profiler object.
diff --git a/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php b/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
index 103da20d..343e4fbb 100644
--- a/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
+++ b/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
@@ -210,6 +210,15 @@ public function fetchValue($statement, array $values = array());
      */
     public function getDsn();
 
+    /**
+     * 
+     * Returns the underlying PDO connection object.
+     * 
+     * @return PDO
+     * 
+     */
+    public function getPdo();
+
     /**
      * 
      * Returns the profiler object.
diff --git a/tests/src/AbstractExtendedPdoTest.php b/tests/src/AbstractExtendedPdoTest.php
index a0eaf1b2..71ff8786 100755
--- a/tests/src/AbstractExtendedPdoTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/AbstractExtendedPdoTest.php
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ protected function insert(array $data)
         $this->pdo->perform($stm, $data);
     }
     
+    abstract public function testGetPdo();
+    
     public function testErrorCodeAndInfo()
     {
         $actual = $this->pdo->errorCode();
diff --git a/tests/src/DecoratedPdoTest.php b/tests/src/DecoratedPdoTest.php
index 7af1ca7c..182817e6 100644
--- a/tests/src/DecoratedPdoTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/DecoratedPdoTest.php
@@ -5,9 +5,16 @@
 
 class DecoratedPdoTest extends AbstractExtendedPdoTest
 {
+    protected $decorated_pdo;
+
     protected function newExtendedPdo()
     {
-        $pdo = new PDO('sqlite::memory:');
-        return new ExtendedPdo($pdo);
+        $this->decorated_pdo = new PDO('sqlite::memory:');
+        return new ExtendedPdo($this->decorated_pdo);
+    }
+
+    public function testGetPdo()
+    {
+        $this->assertSame($this->decorated_pdo, $this->pdo->getPdo());
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/src/ExtendedPdoTest.php b/tests/src/ExtendedPdoTest.php
index a523f3bb..9b6e99b7 100644
--- a/tests/src/ExtendedPdoTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/ExtendedPdoTest.php
@@ -23,4 +23,11 @@ protected function newExtendedPdo()
             $attributes
         );
     }
+
+    public function testGetPdo()
+    {
+        $lazy_pdo = $this->pdo->getPdo();
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('PDO', $lazy_pdo);
+        $this->assertNotSame($this->pdo, $lazy_pdo);
+    }
 }