diff --git a/db/c.cc b/db/c.cc
index 71c5f542c..b44da0bbb 100644
--- a/db/c.cc
+++ b/db/c.cc
@@ -1930,6 +1930,14 @@ void rocksdb_options_set_fifo_compaction_options(
   opt->rep.compaction_options_fifo = fifo->rep;
 }
 
+char *rocksdb_options_statistics_get_string(rocksdb_options_t *opt) {
+  rocksdb::Statistics *statistics = opt->rep.statistics.get();
+  if (statistics) {
+    return strdup(statistics->ToString().c_str());
+  }
+  return nullptr;
+}
+
 /*
 TODO:
 DB::OpenForReadOnly
diff --git a/include/rocksdb/c.h b/include/rocksdb/c.h
index 06cf65bd1..7dbaacd73 100644
--- a/include/rocksdb/c.h
+++ b/include/rocksdb/c.h
@@ -602,6 +602,9 @@ extern void rocksdb_options_set_max_bytes_for_level_multiplier_additional(
     rocksdb_options_t*, int* level_values, size_t num_levels);
 extern void rocksdb_options_enable_statistics(rocksdb_options_t*);
 
+/* returns a pointer to a malloc()-ed, null terminated string */
+extern char *rocksdb_options_statistics_get_string(rocksdb_options_t *opt);
+
 extern void rocksdb_options_set_max_write_buffer_number(rocksdb_options_t*, int);
 extern void rocksdb_options_set_min_write_buffer_number_to_merge(rocksdb_options_t*, int);
 extern void rocksdb_options_set_max_write_buffer_number_to_maintain(