diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c5789cc..2438397 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,6 +69,13 @@ func main() {
 	// ...
 	// foo can then be passed around freely as a string
 
+        // Want to get the entry in the cache for an item not just the value?
+        var cahceItem Item
+        if x, found := c.GetCacheItem("foo"); found {
+                foo = x.(string)
+        }
+        // ..
+
 	// Want performance? Store pointers!
 	c.Set("foo", &MyStruct, cache.DefaultExpiration)
 	if x, found := c.Get("foo"); found {
diff --git a/cache.go b/cache.go
index 30b1ea2..109cef5 100644
--- a/cache.go
+++ b/cache.go
@@ -115,7 +115,22 @@ func (c *cache) Replace(k string, x interface{}, d time.Duration) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Get an item from the cache. Returns the item or nil, and a bool indicating
+// Get an item from the cache, along with its expiration time.
+// Returns the item or nil, and a bool indicating whether the key was found.
+func (c *cache) GetCacheItem(k string) (Item, bool) {
+	c.mu.RLock()
+	// "Inlining" of get and Expired
+	item, found := c.items[k]
+	if !found {
+		c.mu.RUnlock()
+		return Item{}, false
+	}
+
+	c.mu.RUnlock()
+	return item, true
+}
+
+// Get the value of an item from the cache. Returns the value or nil, and a bool indicating
 // whether the key was found.
 func (c *cache) Get(k string) (interface{}, bool) {
 	c.mu.RLock()
diff --git a/cache_test.go b/cache_test.go
index 47a3d53..7228ee6 100644
--- a/cache_test.go
+++ b/cache_test.go
@@ -106,6 +106,28 @@ func TestCacheTimes(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestExpiredCacheRetrieval(t *testing.T) {
+	var found bool
+
+	tc := New(50*time.Millisecond, 2*time.Second)
+	tc.Set("a", 1, DefaultExpiration)
+
+	<-time.After(60 * time.Millisecond)
+	_, found = tc.Get("a")
+	if found {
+		t.Error("Found c when it should have been automatically deleted")
+	}
+
+	item, found := tc.GetCacheItem("a")
+	if !found {
+		t.Error("Not Found an expired cache item a when it should have been in the cache")
+	}
+
+	if !item.Expired() {
+		t.Error("Found cache item a marked as not expired when it should have been expired")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestNewFrom(t *testing.T) {
 	m := map[string]Item{
 		"a": Item{