diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 0f01dc62c..8ca782c5a 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2003-07-07  David Ayers  <d.ayers@inode.at>
+	
+	* Headers/gnustep/base/GSObjCRuntime.h:
+	* Source/Additions/GSObjCRuntime.m:
+	Added typedef for GSIVar.
+	(GSCGetInstanceVariableDefinition): New function.
+	(GSObjCGetInstanceVariableDefinition): Ditto.
+
 2003-07-07  Richard Frith-Macdonald <rfm@gnu.org>
 
 	* Source/Source/GSFFCallInvocation.m: gs_objc_msg_forward() trust the
diff --git a/Headers/gnustep/base/GSObjCRuntime.h b/Headers/gnustep/base/GSObjCRuntime.h
index 365fb70d7..a7fc69117 100644
--- a/Headers/gnustep/base/GSObjCRuntime.h
+++ b/Headers/gnustep/base/GSObjCRuntime.h
@@ -272,11 +272,12 @@ GSTypesFromSelector(SEL this)
 
 
 /*
- * Unfortunately the definition of the symbol 'Method'
+ * Unfortunately the definition of the symbol 'Method' "IVar(_t)"
  * is incompatible between the GNU and NeXT/Apple runtimes.
- * We introduce GSMethod to allow portability.
+ * We introduce GSMethod and GSIVar to allow portability.
  */
 typedef struct objc_method *GSMethod;
+typedef struct objc_ivar   *GSIVar;
 
 /**
  * Returns the pointer to the instance method structure
@@ -365,6 +366,31 @@ GSFlushMethodCacheForClass (Class class)
   __objc_update_dispatch_table_for_class (class);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns the pointer to the instance variable structure
+ * for the instance variable name in the specified class.
+ * This function searches the specified class and its superclasses.<br/>
+ * It should be safe to use this function in +load implementations.<br/>
+ * This function should currently (June 2003) be considered WIP.
+ * Please follow potential changes (Name, parameters, ...) closely until
+ * it stabilizes.
+ */
+GS_EXPORT GSIVar
+GSCGetInstanceVariableDefinition(Class class, const char *name);
+
+/**
+ * Returns the pointer to the instance variable structure
+ * for the instance variable name in the specified class.
+ * This function searches the specified class and its superclasses.<br/>
+ * It is not necessarily safe to use this function
+ * in +load implementations.<br/>
+ * This function should currently (June 2003) be considered WIP.
+ * Please follow potential changes (Name, parameters, ...) closely until
+ * it stabilizes.
+ */
+GS_EXPORT GSIVar
+GSObjCGetInstanceVariableDefinition(Class class, NSString *name);
+
 
 /**
  * Returns the superclass of this.
diff --git a/Source/Additions/GSObjCRuntime.m b/Source/Additions/GSObjCRuntime.m
index a023bb17d..fa7b8144a 100644
--- a/Source/Additions/GSObjCRuntime.m
+++ b/Source/Additions/GSObjCRuntime.m
@@ -676,6 +676,33 @@ GSGetClassMethodNotInhertited (Class class, SEL sel)
   return search_for_method_in_class (class->class_pointer, sel);
 }
 
+/* See header for documentation. */
+GSIVar
+GSCGetInstanceVariableDefinition(Class class, const char *name)
+{
+  struct objc_ivar_list *list;
+  int i;
+  list = class->ivars;
+  for (i = 0; i < list->ivar_count; i++)
+    {
+      if (strcmp (list->ivar_list[i].ivar_name, name) == 0)
+	return &(list->ivar_list[i]);
+    }
+  class = GSObjCSuper(class);
+  if (class != 0)
+    {
+      return GSCGetInstanceVariableDefinition(class, name);
+    }
+  return 0;
+}
+
+GSIVar
+GSObjCGetInstanceVariableDefinition(Class class, NSString *name)
+{
+  return GSCGetInstanceVariableDefinition(class, [name cString]);
+}
+
+
 
 /**
  * <p>A Behavior can be seen as a "Protocol with an implementation" or a