diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 9dc00d04..90436362 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -565,6 +565,12 @@ impl<'self> PostgresStatement<'self> {
 
         Ok(result)
     }
+
+    pub fn find_col_named(&self, col: &str) -> Option<uint> {
+        do self.result_desc.iter().position |desc| {
+            desc.name.as_slice() == col
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 pub struct PostgresResult<'self> {
@@ -660,4 +666,12 @@ impl<'self> PostgresRow<'self> {
         FromSql::from_sql(self.stmt.result_desc[idx].type_oid,
                           &self.data[idx])
     }
+
+    pub fn get_named<T: FromSql>(&self, col: &str) -> T {
+        let idx = match self.stmt.find_col_named(col) {
+            Some(idx) => idx,
+            None => fail!("No column with name %s", col)
+        };
+        self.get(idx)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test.rs b/src/test.rs
index 98d7dd3b..00bf5b24 100644
--- a/src/test.rs
+++ b/src/test.rs
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ fn test_bool_params() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_i8_params() {
-    test_type("\"char\"", [Some(0i8), Some(127i8), None]);
+    test_type("\"char\"", [Some(-100i8), Some(127i8), None]);
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -257,6 +257,36 @@ fn test_wrong_param_type() {
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_find_col_named() {
+    do test_in_transaction |trans| {
+        trans.update("CREATE TABLE foo (
+                        id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+                        val BOOL
+                      )", []);
+        let stmt = trans.prepare("SELECT id as my_id, val FROM foo");
+        assert_eq!(Some(0), stmt.find_col_named("my_id"));
+        assert_eq!(Some(1), stmt.find_col_named("val"));
+        assert_eq!(None, stmt.find_col_named("asdf"));
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_find_get_named() {
+    do test_in_transaction |trans| {
+        trans.update("CREATE TABLE foo (
+                        id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+                        val INT
+                      )", []);
+        trans.update("INSERT INTO foo (val) VALUES (10)", []);
+        let stmt = trans.prepare("SELECT id, val FROM foo");
+        let result = stmt.query([]);
+
+        assert_eq!(~[10i32],
+                   result.map(|row| { row.get_named("val") }).collect());
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_plaintext_pass() {
     PostgresConnection::connect("postgres://pass_user:password@127.0.0.1:5432");