diff --git a/json_object.c b/json_object.c
index 24cb7ab..29eb29d 100644
--- a/json_object.c
+++ b/json_object.c
@@ -295,20 +295,35 @@ void json_object_set_serializer(json_object *jso,
 
 /* extended conversion to string */
 
-const char* json_object_to_json_string_ext(struct json_object *jso, int flags)
+const char* json_object_to_json_string_length(struct json_object *jso, int flags, size_t *length)
 {
-	if (!jso)
-		return "null";
+	const char *r = NULL;
+	size_t s = 0;
 
-	if ((!jso->_pb) && !(jso->_pb = printbuf_new()))
-		return NULL;
+	if (!jso)
+	{
+		s = 4;
+		r = "null";
+	}
+	else if ((jso->_pb) || (jso->_pb = printbuf_new()))
+	{
+		printbuf_reset(jso->_pb);
 
-	printbuf_reset(jso->_pb);
+		if(jso->_to_json_string(jso, jso->_pb, 0, flags) >= 0)
+		{
+			s = (size_t)jso->_pb->bpos;
+			r = jso->_pb->buf;
+		}
+	}
 
-	if(jso->_to_json_string(jso, jso->_pb, 0, flags) < 0)
-		return NULL;
+	if (length)
+		*length = s;
+	return r;
+}
 
-	return jso->_pb->buf;
+const char* json_object_to_json_string_ext(struct json_object *jso, int flags)
+{
+	return json_object_to_json_string_length(jso, flags, NULL);
 }
 
 /* backwards-compatible conversion to string */
diff --git a/json_object.h b/json_object.h
index 4bcfcbc..19afa5e 100644
--- a/json_object.h
+++ b/json_object.h
@@ -223,6 +223,16 @@ extern const char* json_object_to_json_string(struct json_object *obj);
 extern const char* json_object_to_json_string_ext(struct json_object *obj, int
 flags);
 
+/** Stringify object to json format
+ * @see json_object_to_json_string() for details on how to free string.
+ * @param obj the json_object instance
+ * @param flags formatting options, see JSON_C_TO_STRING_PRETTY and other constants
+ * @param length a pointer where, if not NULL, the length (without null) is stored
+ * @returns a string in JSON format and the length if not NULL
+ */
+extern const char* json_object_to_json_string_length(struct json_object *obj, int
+flags, size_t *length);
+
 /**
  * Returns the userdata set by json_object_set_userdata() or
  * json_object_set_serializer()
diff --git a/tests/test1.c b/tests/test1.c
index 3cbd186..05956d1 100644
--- a/tests/test1.c
+++ b/tests/test1.c
@@ -28,7 +28,27 @@ static int sort_fn (const void *j1, const void *j2)
 }
 
 #ifdef TEST_FORMATTED
-#define json_object_to_json_string(obj) json_object_to_json_string_ext(obj,sflags)
+static const char *to_json_string(json_object *obj, int flags)
+{
+	size_t length;
+	char *copy;
+	const char *result;
+
+	result = json_object_to_json_string_length(obj, flags, &length);
+	copy = strndup(result, length);
+	if (copy == NULL)
+		printf("to_json_string: Allocation failed!\n");
+	else {
+		result = json_object_to_json_string_ext(obj, flags);
+		if (length != strlen(result))
+			printf("to_json_string: Length mismatch!\n");
+		if (strcmp(copy, result) != 0)
+			printf("to_json_string: Comparison Failed!\n");
+		free(copy);
+	}
+	return result;
+}
+#define json_object_to_json_string(obj) to_json_string(obj,sflags)
 #else
 /* no special define */
 #endif