diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 98b21625df1..a9667e3b5ba 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ What's New in Python 2.5 alpha 1?
 Core and builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Previously, Python code had no easy way to access the contents of a
+  cell object. Now, a ``cell_contents`` attribute has been added
+  (closes patch #1170323).
+
 - Patch #1123430: Python's small-object allocator now returns an arena to
   the system ``free()`` when all memory within an arena becomes unused
   again.  Prior to Python 2.5, arenas (256KB chunks of memory) were never
diff --git a/Objects/cellobject.c b/Objects/cellobject.c
index 3b870934dc1..97044032fcc 100644
--- a/Objects/cellobject.c
+++ b/Objects/cellobject.c
@@ -86,6 +86,18 @@ cell_clear(PyCellObject *op)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static PyObject *
+cell_get_contents(PyCellObject *op, void *closure)
+{
+	Py_XINCREF(op->ob_ref);
+	return op->ob_ref;
+}
+
+static PyGetSetDef cell_getsetlist[] = {
+	{"cell_contents", (getter)cell_get_contents, NULL},
+	{NULL} /* sentinel */
+};
+
 PyTypeObject PyCell_Type = {
 	PyObject_HEAD_INIT(&PyType_Type)
 	0,
@@ -111,4 +123,11 @@ PyTypeObject PyCell_Type = {
  	0,					/* tp_doc */
  	(traverseproc)cell_traverse,		/* tp_traverse */
  	(inquiry)cell_clear,			/* tp_clear */
+	0,					/* tp_richcompare */
+	0,					/* tp_weaklistoffset */
+	0, 					/* tp_iter */
+	0,					/* tp_iternext */
+	0,					/* tp_methods */
+	0,					/* tp_members */
+	cell_getsetlist,			/* tp_getset */
 };