diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 9a416dea6bbfa9d8e2f3985dbdea7c2a9b2355dd..57f503b675f364299209941e2eecf023ddfc217b 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 
  Changes between 0.9.7a and 0.9.8  [xx XXX xxxx]
 
+  *) Add a generic structure called OPENSSL_ITEM.  This can be used to
+     pass a list of arguments to any function as well as provide a way
+     for a function to pass data back to the caller.
+     [Richard Levitte]
+
   *) Add the functions BUF_strndup() and BUF_memdup().  BUF_strndup()
      works like BUF_strdup() but can be used to duplicate a portion of
      a string.  The copy gets NUL-terminated.  BUF_memdup() duplicates
diff --git a/crypto/crypto.h b/crypto/crypto.h
index 0f15a565444bbb268ecf05099458c302310983ef..dd90cfa55d0f312437abc149be71d8e25dd2149f 100644
--- a/crypto/crypto.h
+++ b/crypto/crypto.h
@@ -152,6 +152,16 @@ extern "C" {
 #define SSLEAY_PLATFORM		4
 #define SSLEAY_DIR		5
 
+/* A generic structure to pass assorted data in a expandable way */
+typedef struct openssl_item_st
+	{
+	int code;
+	void *value;		/* Not used for flag attributes */
+	size_t value_size;	/* Max size of value for output, length for input */
+	size_t *value_length;	/* Returned length of value for output */
+	} OPENSSL_ITEM;
+
+
 /* When changing the CRYPTO_LOCK_* list, be sure to maintin the text lock
  * names in cryptlib.c
  */
@@ -192,7 +202,8 @@ extern "C" {
 #define CRYPTO_LOCK_ECDH		34
 #define CRYPTO_LOCK_BN  		35
 #define CRYPTO_LOCK_EC_PRE_COMP		36
-#define CRYPTO_NUM_LOCKS		37
+#define CRYPTO_LOCK_STORE		37
+#define CRYPTO_NUM_LOCKS		38
 
 #define CRYPTO_LOCK		1
 #define CRYPTO_UNLOCK		2
@@ -302,6 +313,7 @@ DECLARE_STACK_OF(CRYPTO_EX_DATA_FUNCS)
 #define CRYPTO_EX_INDEX_ECDSA		12
 #define CRYPTO_EX_INDEX_ECDH		13
 #define CRYPTO_EX_INDEX_COMP		14
+#define CRYPTO_EX_INDEX_STORE		15
 
 /* Dynamically assigned indexes start from this value (don't use directly, use
  * via CRYPTO_ex_data_new_class). */