diff --git a/cache.go b/cache.go
index 30b1ea2..99135fc 100644
--- a/cache.go
+++ b/cache.go
@@ -135,6 +135,25 @@ func (c *cache) Get(k string) (interface{}, bool) {
 	return item.Object, true
 }
 
+// Get full Item from cache (with info about expiration).
+// Returns full Item, when allowExpired is set to true returning item even if already expired and a bool indicating
+// whether the key was found.
+func (c *cache) GetItem(k string, allowExpired bool) (Item, bool) {
+	c.mu.RLock()
+	defer c.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	item, found := c.items[k]
+	if !found {
+		return Item{}, false
+	}
+
+	if !allowExpired && item.Expired() {
+		return Item{}, false
+	}
+
+	return item, true
+}
+
 // GetWithExpiration returns an item and its expiration time from the cache.
 // It returns the item or nil, the expiration time if one is set (if the item
 // never expires a zero value for time.Time is returned), and a bool indicating
diff --git a/cache_test.go b/cache_test.go
index 47a3d53..ed0c099 100644
--- a/cache_test.go
+++ b/cache_test.go
@@ -1413,6 +1413,38 @@ func TestFileSerialization(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetItem(t *testing.T) {
+	tc := New(DefaultExpiration, 0)
+	tc.Set("int8", int8(5), 25*time.Microsecond)
+	n, err := tc.DecrementInt8("int8", 2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("Error decrementing:", err)
+	}
+	if n != 3 {
+		t.Error("Returned number is not 3:", n)
+	}
+	time.Sleep(50 * time.Microsecond)
+
+	x, found := tc.Get("int8")
+	if found {
+		t.Error("int8 should be expired")
+	}
+
+	_, found = tc.GetItem("int8", false)
+	if found {
+		t.Error("int8 should be expired")
+	}
+
+	item, found := tc.GetItem("int8", true)
+	if !found {
+		t.Error("int8 stale was not found")
+	}
+
+	if item.Object.(int8) != 3 {
+		t.Error("int8 is not 3:", x)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSerializeUnserializable(t *testing.T) {
 	tc := New(DefaultExpiration, 0)
 	ch := make(chan bool, 1)