diff --git a/unix/syscall_bsd.go b/unix/syscall_bsd.go
index 47b05984..d3903ede 100644
--- a/unix/syscall_bsd.go
+++ b/unix/syscall_bsd.go
@@ -352,6 +352,18 @@ func GetsockoptICMPv6Filter(fd, level, opt int) (*ICMPv6Filter, 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 {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return string(buf[:vallen-1]), nil
+}
+
 //sys   recvfrom(fd int, p []byte, flags int, from *RawSockaddrAny, fromlen *_Socklen) (n int, err error)
 //sys   sendto(s int, buf []byte, flags int, to unsafe.Pointer, addrlen _Socklen) (err error)
 //sys	recvmsg(s int, msg *Msghdr, flags int) (n int, err error)
diff --git a/unix/syscall_solaris.go b/unix/syscall_solaris.go
index 58b4e6dd..81e23f9b 100644
--- a/unix/syscall_solaris.go
+++ b/unix/syscall_solaris.go
@@ -130,6 +130,18 @@ func Getsockname(fd int) (sa Sockaddr, err error) {
 	return anyToSockaddr(&rsa)
 }
 
+// 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 {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return string(buf[:vallen-1]), nil
+}
+
 const ImplementsGetwd = true
 
 //sys	Getcwd(buf []byte) (n int, err error)