diff --git a/README b/README
index 73d81a37..c8191cea 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Version 0.4
 
   Fixed leak in sftp_symlink_ex(), result for READLINK and REALPATH not freed unless there was an error.
 
+  Added libssh2_banner_set(), specify an arbitrary banner to send on introduction.
+
 Version 0.3
 -----------
 
diff --git a/include/libssh2.h b/include/libssh2.h
index d1347c53..f4312dfa 100644
--- a/include/libssh2.h
+++ b/include/libssh2.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #define LIBSSH2_VERSION								"0.3"
-#define LIBSSH2_APINO								200412211608
+#define LIBSSH2_APINO								200412241457
 
 /* Part of every banner, user specified or not */
 #define LIBSSH2_SSH_BANNER							"SSH-2.0-libssh2_" LIBSSH2_VERSION
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ LIBSSH2_API LIBSSH2_SESSION *libssh2_session_init_ex(LIBSSH2_ALLOC_FUNC((*my_all
 LIBSSH2_API void **libssh2_session_abstract(LIBSSH2_SESSION *session);
 
 LIBSSH2_API void *libssh2_session_callback_set(LIBSSH2_SESSION *session, int cbtype, void *callback);
+LIBSSH2_API int libssh2_banner_set(LIBSSH2_SESSION *session, char *banner);
 
 LIBSSH2_API int libssh2_session_startup(LIBSSH2_SESSION *session, int socket);
 LIBSSH2_API int libssh2_session_disconnect_ex(LIBSSH2_SESSION *session, int reason, char *description, char *lang);
diff --git a/src/session.c b/src/session.c
index 48b83b10..58526b96 100644
--- a/src/session.c
+++ b/src/session.c
@@ -128,6 +128,37 @@ static int libssh2_banner_send(LIBSSH2_SESSION *session)
 }
 /* }}} */
 
+/* {{{ libssh2_banner_set
+ * Set the local banner
+ */
+LIBSSH2_API int libssh2_banner_set(LIBSSH2_SESSION *session, char *banner)
+{
+	int banner_len = banner ? strlen(banner) : 0;
+
+	if (session->local.banner) {
+		LIBSSH2_FREE(session, session->local.banner);
+		session->local.banner = NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (!banner_len) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	session->local.banner = LIBSSH2_ALLOC(session, banner_len + 3);
+	if (!session->local.banner) {
+		libssh2_error(session, LIBSSH2_ERROR_ALLOC, "Unable to allocate memory for local banner", 0);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	memcpy(session->local.banner, banner, banner_len);
+	session->local.banner[banner_len++] = '\r';
+	session->local.banner[banner_len++] = '\n';
+	session->local.banner[banner_len++] = '\0';
+
+	return 0;
+}
+/* }}} */
+
 /* {{{ proto libssh2_session_init
  * Allocate and initialize a libssh2 session structure
  * Allows for malloc callbacks in case the calling program has its own memory manager
@@ -392,10 +423,6 @@ LIBSSH2_API void libssh2_session_free(LIBSSH2_SESSION *session)
 		LIBSSH2_FREE(session, tmp);
 	}
 
-	if (session->local.banner) {
-		LIBSSH2_FREE(session, session->local.banner);
-	}
-
 	LIBSSH2_FREE(session, session);
 }
 /* }}} */