diff --git a/src/libimcv/imc/imc_msg.c b/src/libimcv/imc/imc_msg.c
index 250f5c708..a03bbc398 100644
--- a/src/libimcv/imc/imc_msg.c
+++ b/src/libimcv/imc/imc_msg.c
@@ -347,6 +347,16 @@ METHOD(imc_msg_t, create_attribute_enumerator, enumerator_t*,
 	return this->pa_msg->create_attribute_enumerator(this->pa_msg);
 }
 
+METHOD(imc_msg_t, get_encoding, chunk_t,
+	private_imc_msg_t *this)
+{
+	if (this->pa_msg)
+	{
+		return this->pa_msg->get_encoding(this->pa_msg);
+	}
+	return chunk_empty;
+}
+
 METHOD(imc_msg_t, destroy, void,
 	private_imc_msg_t *this)
 {
@@ -374,6 +384,7 @@ imc_msg_t *imc_msg_create(imc_agent_t *agent, imc_state_t *state,
 			.receive = _receive,
 			.add_attribute = _add_attribute,
 			.create_attribute_enumerator = _create_attribute_enumerator,
+			.get_encoding = _get_encoding,
 			.destroy = _destroy,
 		},
 		.connection_id = connection_id,
@@ -444,6 +455,7 @@ imc_msg_t *imc_msg_create_from_long_data(imc_agent_t *agent, imc_state_t *state,
 			.receive = _receive,
 			.add_attribute = _add_attribute,
 			.create_attribute_enumerator = _create_attribute_enumerator,
+			.get_encoding = _get_encoding,
 			.destroy = _destroy,
 		},
 		.connection_id = connection_id,
diff --git a/src/libimcv/imc/imc_msg.h b/src/libimcv/imc/imc_msg.h
index 7c7d75a9b..6dd712e84 100644
--- a/src/libimcv/imc/imc_msg.h
+++ b/src/libimcv/imc/imc_msg.h
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ struct imc_msg_t {
 	 */
 	enumerator_t* (*create_attribute_enumerator)(imc_msg_t *this);
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the encoding of the IMC message.
+	 *
+	 * @return					message encoding, internal data
+	 */
+	chunk_t (*get_encoding)(imc_msg_t *this);
+
 	/**
 	 * Destroys a imc_msg_t object.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/libimcv/imv/imv_msg.c b/src/libimcv/imv/imv_msg.c
index 9ec297bfc..5555f95b9 100644
--- a/src/libimcv/imv/imv_msg.c
+++ b/src/libimcv/imv/imv_msg.c
@@ -323,6 +323,16 @@ METHOD(imv_msg_t, create_attribute_enumerator, enumerator_t*,
 	return this->pa_msg->create_attribute_enumerator(this->pa_msg);
 }
 
+METHOD(imv_msg_t, get_encoding, chunk_t,
+	private_imv_msg_t *this)
+{
+	if (this->pa_msg)
+	{
+		return this->pa_msg->get_encoding(this->pa_msg);
+	}
+	return chunk_empty;
+}
+
 METHOD(imv_msg_t, destroy, void,
 	private_imv_msg_t *this)
 {
@@ -353,6 +363,7 @@ imv_msg_t *imv_msg_create(imv_agent_t *agent, imv_state_t *state,
 			.add_attribute = _add_attribute,
 			.delete_attributes = _delete_attributes,
 			.create_attribute_enumerator = _create_attribute_enumerator,
+			.get_encoding = _get_encoding,
 			.destroy = _destroy,
 		},
 		.connection_id = connection_id,
@@ -426,6 +437,7 @@ imv_msg_t *imv_msg_create_from_long_data(imv_agent_t *agent, imv_state_t *state,
 			.add_attribute = _add_attribute,
 			.delete_attributes = _delete_attributes,
 			.create_attribute_enumerator = _create_attribute_enumerator,
+			.get_encoding = _get_encoding,
 			.destroy = _destroy,
 		},
 		.connection_id = connection_id,
diff --git a/src/libimcv/imv/imv_msg.h b/src/libimcv/imv/imv_msg.h
index 4c39150f6..92347934f 100644
--- a/src/libimcv/imv/imv_msg.h
+++ b/src/libimcv/imv/imv_msg.h
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ struct imv_msg_t {
 	 */
 	enumerator_t* (*create_attribute_enumerator)(imv_msg_t *this);
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the full encoding of an IMV message.
+	 *
+	 * @return					message encoding, internal data
+	 */
+	chunk_t (*get_encoding)(imv_msg_t *this);
+
 	/**
 	 * Destroys a imv_msg_t object.
 	 */