diff --git a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
index 50b5e3d2..b1c6262e 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
@@ -2285,6 +2285,13 @@ typedef enum _alpm_pkgvalidation_t {
 	ALPM_PKG_VALIDATION_SIGNATURE = (1 << 3)
 } alpm_pkgvalidation_t;
 
+typedef struct _alpm_pkg_data_t {
+	char *name;
+	char *value;
+} alpm_pkg_data_t;
+
+alpm_list_t *alpm_pkg_get_data(alpm_pkg_t *pkg);
+
 /** Create a package from a file.
  * If full is false, the archive is read only until all necessary
  * metadata is found. If it is true, the entire archive is read, which
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_local.c b/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
index 87fecbe5..74745a98 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
@@ -804,6 +804,22 @@ static int local_db_read(alpm_pkg_t *info, int inforeq)
 				READ_AND_SPLITDEP(info->conflicts);
 			} else if(strcmp(line, "%PROVIDES%") == 0) {
 				READ_AND_SPLITDEP(info->provides);
+			} else if(strcmp(line, "%DATA%") == 0) {
+				while(1) {
+					alpm_pkg_data_t *pd;
+					char *sep;
+					READ_NEXT();
+					if(line[0] == '\0') {
+						break;
+					}
+					if((sep = strchr(line, ' ')) == NULL) {
+						goto error;
+					}
+					CALLOC(pd, 1, sizeof(alpm_pkg_data_t), goto error);
+					STRNDUP(pd->name, line, sep - line, _alpm_pkg_data_free(pd); goto error);
+					STRDUP(pd->value, sep, _alpm_pkg_data_free(pd); goto error);
+					info->xdata = alpm_list_add(info->xdata, pd);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		fclose(fp);
@@ -1040,6 +1056,15 @@ int _alpm_local_db_write(alpm_db_t *db, alpm_pkg_t *info, int inforeq)
 		write_deps(fp, "%CONFLICTS%", info->conflicts);
 		write_deps(fp, "%PROVIDES%", info->provides);
 
+		if(info->xdata) {
+			fputs("%DATA%\n", fp);
+			for(lp = info->xdata; lp; lp = lp->next) {
+				alpm_pkg_data_t *pd = lp->data;
+				fprintf(fp, "%s %s\n", pd->name, pd->value);
+			}
+			fputc('\n', fp);
+		}
+
 		fclose(fp);
 		fp = NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_package.c b/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
index e837ffb8..1fef308d 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
@@ -246,6 +246,12 @@ static int parse_descfile(alpm_handle_t *handle, struct archive *a, alpm_pkg_t *
 				newpkg->backup = alpm_list_add(newpkg->backup, backup);
 			} else if(strcmp(key, "pkgtype") == 0) {
 				/* not used atm */
+			} else if(strncmp(key, "data-", 5) == 0 && key[5] != '\0') {
+				alpm_pkg_data_t *pd;
+				CALLOC(pd, 1, sizeof(alpm_pkg_data_t), return -1);
+				STRDUP(pd->name, key + 5, _alpm_pkg_data_free(pd); return -1);
+				STRDUP(pd->value, ptr, _alpm_pkg_data_free(pd); return -1);
+				newpkg->xdata = alpm_list_add(newpkg->xdata, pd);
 			} else {
 				_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "%s: unknown key '%s' in description file line %d\n",
 									newpkg->name ? newpkg->name : "error", key, linenum);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
index 8c8e01a0..9566294a 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
@@ -666,6 +666,22 @@ static int sync_db_read(alpm_db_t *db, struct archive *archive,
 				pkg->files.count = files_count;
 				pkg->files.files = files;
 				_alpm_filelist_sort(&pkg->files);
+			} else if(strcmp(line, "%DATA%") == 0) {
+				while(1) {
+					alpm_pkg_data_t *pd;
+					char *sep;
+					READ_NEXT();
+					if(line[0] == '\0') {
+						break;
+					}
+					if((sep = strchr(line, ' ')) == NULL) {
+						goto error;
+					}
+					CALLOC(pd, 1, sizeof(alpm_pkg_data_t), goto error);
+					STRNDUP(pd->name, line, sep - line, FREE(pd); goto error);
+					STRDUP(pd->value, sep, FREE(pd->name); FREE(pd); goto error);
+					pkg->xdata = alpm_list_add(pkg->xdata, pd);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		if(ret != ARCHIVE_EOF) {
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/package.c b/lib/libalpm/package.c
index e79d7d65..c7b7f745 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/package.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/package.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ static alpm_list_t *_pkg_get_provides(alpm_pkg_t *pkg)   { return pkg->provides;
 static alpm_list_t *_pkg_get_replaces(alpm_pkg_t *pkg)   { return pkg->replaces; }
 static alpm_filelist_t *_pkg_get_files(alpm_pkg_t *pkg)  { return &(pkg->files); }
 static alpm_list_t *_pkg_get_backup(alpm_pkg_t *pkg)     { return pkg->backup; }
+static alpm_list_t *_pkg_get_data(alpm_pkg_t *pkg)       { return pkg->xdata; }
 
 static void *_pkg_changelog_open(alpm_pkg_t UNUSED *pkg)
 {
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ const struct pkg_operations default_pkg_ops = {
 	.get_replaces    = _pkg_get_replaces,
 	.get_files       = _pkg_get_files,
 	.get_backup      = _pkg_get_backup,
+	.get_data        = _pkg_get_data,
 
 	.changelog_open  = _pkg_changelog_open,
 	.changelog_read  = _pkg_changelog_read,
@@ -479,6 +481,13 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_pkg_has_scriptlet(alpm_pkg_t *pkg)
 	return pkg->ops->has_scriptlet(pkg);
 }
 
+alpm_list_t SYMEXPORT *alpm_pkg_get_data(alpm_pkg_t *pkg)
+{
+	ASSERT(pkg != NULL, return NULL);
+	pkg->handle->pm_errno = ALPM_ERR_OK;
+	return pkg->ops->get_data(pkg);
+}
+
 static void find_requiredby(alpm_pkg_t *pkg, alpm_db_t *db, alpm_list_t **reqs,
 		int optional)
 {
@@ -671,6 +680,14 @@ static void free_deplist(alpm_list_t *deps)
 	alpm_list_free(deps);
 }
 
+void _alpm_pkg_data_free(alpm_pkg_data_t *pd) {
+	if(pd) {
+		free(pd->name);
+		free(pd->value);
+		free(pd);
+	}
+}
+
 void _alpm_pkg_free(alpm_pkg_t *pkg)
 {
 	if(pkg == NULL) {
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/package.h b/lib/libalpm/package.h
index 93522530..05775077 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/package.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/package.h
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ struct pkg_operations {
 	alpm_filelist_t *(*get_files) (alpm_pkg_t *);
 	alpm_list_t *(*get_backup) (alpm_pkg_t *);
 
+	alpm_list_t *(*get_data) (alpm_pkg_t *);
+
 	void *(*changelog_open) (alpm_pkg_t *);
 	size_t (*changelog_read) (void *, size_t, const alpm_pkg_t *, void *);
 	int (*changelog_close) (const alpm_pkg_t *, void *);
@@ -136,6 +138,8 @@ struct _alpm_pkg_t {
 	alpm_pkgreason_t reason;
 	int scriptlet;
 
+	alpm_list_t *xdata;
+
 	/* Bitfield from alpm_dbinfrq_t */
 	int infolevel;
 	/* Bitfield from alpm_pkgvalidation_t */
@@ -158,4 +162,6 @@ alpm_pkg_t *_alpm_pkg_load_internal(alpm_handle_t *handle,
 int _alpm_pkg_cmp(const void *p1, const void *p2);
 int _alpm_pkg_compare_versions(alpm_pkg_t *local_pkg, alpm_pkg_t *pkg);
 
+void _alpm_pkg_data_free(alpm_pkg_data_t *pd);
+
 #endif /* ALPM_PACKAGE_H */