diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1a63719..4c91e88 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+* Export the `DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME` constant.
+
 ## 0.14.0 (2020-04-22)
 
 * Updated lz4 to v1.9.2 (ordian)
diff --git a/src/column_family.rs b/src/column_family.rs
index 62665f9..2c1b505 100644
--- a/src/column_family.rs
+++ b/src/column_family.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@
 
 use crate::{ffi, Options};
 
+/// The name of the default column family.
+///
+/// The column family with this name is created implicitly whenever column
+/// families are used.
+pub const DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME: &str = "default";
+
 /// A descriptor for a RocksDB column family.
 ///
 /// A description of the column family, containing the name and `Options`.
diff --git a/src/db.rs b/src/db.rs
index c76df63..9499fba 100644
--- a/src/db.rs
+++ b/src/db.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ use crate::{
     ffi_util::{opt_bytes_to_ptr, to_cpath},
     ColumnFamily, ColumnFamilyDescriptor, DBIterator, DBPinnableSlice, DBRawIterator,
     DBWALIterator, Direction, Error, FlushOptions, IngestExternalFileOptions, IteratorMode,
-    Options, ReadOptions, Snapshot, WriteBatch, WriteOptions,
+    Options, ReadOptions, Snapshot, WriteBatch, WriteOptions, DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME,
 };
 
 use libc::{self, c_char, c_int, c_uchar, c_void, size_t};
@@ -216,9 +216,9 @@ impl DB {
         } else {
             let mut cfs_v = cfs;
             // Always open the default column family.
-            if !cfs_v.iter().any(|cf| cf.name == "default") {
+            if !cfs_v.iter().any(|cf| cf.name == DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME) {
                 cfs_v.push(ColumnFamilyDescriptor {
-                    name: String::from("default"),
+                    name: String::from(DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME),
                     options: Options::default(),
                 });
             }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 1161997..f4e2ce5 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ mod sst_file_writer;
 mod write_batch;
 
 pub use crate::{
-    column_family::{ColumnFamily, ColumnFamilyDescriptor},
+    column_family::{ColumnFamily, ColumnFamilyDescriptor, DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME},
     compaction_filter::Decision as CompactionDecision,
     db::DB,
     db_iterator::{DBIterator, DBRawIterator, DBWALIterator, Direction, IteratorMode},
diff --git a/tests/test_column_family.rs b/tests/test_column_family.rs
index feaaacd..fc9e9b2 100644
--- a/tests/test_column_family.rs
+++ b/tests/test_column_family.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 mod util;
 
-use rocksdb::{ColumnFamilyDescriptor, MergeOperands, Options, DB};
+use rocksdb::{ColumnFamilyDescriptor, MergeOperands, Options, DB, DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME};
 use util::DBPath;
 
 #[test]
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ fn test_column_family() {
         let opts = Options::default();
         let vec = DB::list_cf(&opts, &n);
         match vec {
-            Ok(vec) => assert_eq!(vec, vec!["default", "cf1"]),
+            Ok(vec) => assert_eq!(vec, vec![DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME, "cf1"]),
             Err(e) => panic!("failed to drop column family: {}", e),
         }
     }