diff --git a/db/column_family.cc b/db/column_family.cc
index 732a4cf29..482b7111e 100644
--- a/db/column_family.cc
+++ b/db/column_family.cc
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ Status ColumnFamilyHandleImpl::GetDescriptor(ColumnFamilyDescriptor* desc) {
 #endif  // !ROCKSDB_LITE
 }
 
-const Comparator* ColumnFamilyHandleImpl::user_comparator() const {
+const Comparator* ColumnFamilyHandleImpl::GetComparator() const {
   return cfd()->user_comparator();
 }
 
@@ -1007,8 +1007,7 @@ uint32_t GetColumnFamilyID(ColumnFamilyHandle* column_family) {
 const Comparator* GetColumnFamilyUserComparator(
     ColumnFamilyHandle* column_family) {
   if (column_family != nullptr) {
-    auto cfh = reinterpret_cast<ColumnFamilyHandleImpl*>(column_family);
-    return cfh->user_comparator();
+    return column_family->GetComparator();
   }
   return nullptr;
 }
diff --git a/db/column_family.h b/db/column_family.h
index 43f249b25..8fb4d6a96 100644
--- a/db/column_family.h
+++ b/db/column_family.h
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ class ColumnFamilyHandleImpl : public ColumnFamilyHandle {
   // destroy without mutex
   virtual ~ColumnFamilyHandleImpl();
   virtual ColumnFamilyData* cfd() const { return cfd_; }
-  virtual const Comparator* user_comparator() const;
 
   virtual uint32_t GetID() const override;
   virtual const std::string& GetName() const override;
   virtual Status GetDescriptor(ColumnFamilyDescriptor* desc) override;
+  virtual const Comparator* GetComparator() const override;
 
  private:
   ColumnFamilyData* cfd_;
diff --git a/db/column_family_test.cc b/db/column_family_test.cc
index c3f273739..aa00d59e5 100644
--- a/db/column_family_test.cc
+++ b/db/column_family_test.cc
@@ -1072,6 +1072,39 @@ TEST_F(ColumnFamilyTest, MemtableNotSupportSnapshot) {
 }
 #endif  // !ROCKSDB_LITE
 
+class TestComparator : public Comparator {
+  int Compare(const rocksdb::Slice& a, const rocksdb::Slice& b) const override {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  const char* Name() const override { return "Test"; }
+  void FindShortestSeparator(std::string* start,
+                             const rocksdb::Slice& limit) const override {}
+  void FindShortSuccessor(std::string* key) const override {}
+};
+
+static TestComparator third_comparator;
+static TestComparator fourth_comparator;
+
+// Test that we can retrieve the comparator from a created CF
+TEST_F(ColumnFamilyTest, GetComparator) {
+  Open();
+  // Add a column family with no comparator specified
+  CreateColumnFamilies({"first"});
+  const Comparator* comp = handles_[0]->GetComparator();
+  ASSERT_EQ(comp, BytewiseComparator());
+
+  // Add three column families - one with no comparator and two
+  // with comparators specified
+  ColumnFamilyOptions second, third, fourth;
+  second.comparator = &third_comparator;
+  third.comparator = &fourth_comparator;
+  CreateColumnFamilies({"second", "third", "fourth"}, {second, third, fourth});
+  ASSERT_EQ(handles_[1]->GetComparator(), BytewiseComparator());
+  ASSERT_EQ(handles_[2]->GetComparator(), &third_comparator);
+  ASSERT_EQ(handles_[3]->GetComparator(), &fourth_comparator);
+  Close();
+}
+
 TEST_F(ColumnFamilyTest, DifferentMergeOperators) {
   Open();
   CreateColumnFamilies({"first", "second"});
diff --git a/db/write_batch_test.cc b/db/write_batch_test.cc
index cc351a5a6..32ed5089c 100644
--- a/db/write_batch_test.cc
+++ b/db/write_batch_test.cc
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ class ColumnFamilyHandleImplDummy : public ColumnFamilyHandleImpl {
   explicit ColumnFamilyHandleImplDummy(int id)
       : ColumnFamilyHandleImpl(nullptr, nullptr, nullptr), id_(id) {}
   uint32_t GetID() const override { return id_; }
-  const Comparator* user_comparator() const override {
+  const Comparator* GetComparator() const override {
     return BytewiseComparator();
   }
 
diff --git a/include/rocksdb/db.h b/include/rocksdb/db.h
index 3a1d6b33c..60ce7984a 100644
--- a/include/rocksdb/db.h
+++ b/include/rocksdb/db.h
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ class ColumnFamilyHandle {
   //
   // Note that this function is not supported in RocksDBLite.
   virtual Status GetDescriptor(ColumnFamilyDescriptor* desc) = 0;
+  // Returns the comparator of the column family associated with the
+  // current handle.
+  virtual const Comparator* GetComparator() const = 0;
 };
 
 static const int kMajorVersion = __ROCKSDB_MAJOR__;
diff --git a/utilities/write_batch_with_index/write_batch_with_index_test.cc b/utilities/write_batch_with_index/write_batch_with_index_test.cc
index d91482db4..c04650d5d 100644
--- a/utilities/write_batch_with_index/write_batch_with_index_test.cc
+++ b/utilities/write_batch_with_index/write_batch_with_index_test.cc
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class ColumnFamilyHandleImplDummy : public ColumnFamilyHandleImpl {
         id_(id),
         comparator_(comparator) {}
   uint32_t GetID() const override { return id_; }
-  const Comparator* user_comparator() const override { return comparator_; }
+  const Comparator* GetComparator() const override { return comparator_; }
 
  private:
   uint32_t id_;