diff --git a/unix/syscall_linux.go b/unix/syscall_linux.go
index 797cda7e..60b97a35 100644
--- a/unix/syscall_linux.go
+++ b/unix/syscall_linux.go
@@ -808,6 +808,24 @@ func GetsockoptTCPInfo(fd, level, opt int) (*TCPInfo, error) {
 	return &value, err
 }
 
+// GetsockoptString returns the string value of the socket option opt for the
+// socket associated with fd at the given socket level.
+func GetsockoptString(fd, level, opt int) (string, error) {
+	buf := make([]byte, 256)
+	vallen := _Socklen(len(buf))
+	err := getsockopt(fd, level, opt, unsafe.Pointer(&buf[0]), &vallen)
+	if err != nil {
+		if err == ERANGE {
+			buf = make([]byte, vallen)
+			err = getsockopt(fd, level, opt, unsafe.Pointer(&buf[0]), &vallen)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+	}
+	return string(buf[:vallen-1]), nil
+}
+
 func SetsockoptIPMreqn(fd, level, opt int, mreq *IPMreqn) (err error) {
 	return setsockopt(fd, level, opt, unsafe.Pointer(mreq), unsafe.Sizeof(*mreq))
 }