diff --git a/include/coreir-c/coreir.h b/include/coreir-c/coreir.h
index c99e95e76..98e4425bb 100644
--- a/include/coreir-c/coreir.h
+++ b/include/coreir-c/coreir.h
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ extern void COREModuleDefAddConnectionMetaDataStr(COREModuleDef* module_def,
         COREWireable* a, COREWireable* b, char *key, char *value);
 extern void COREModuleAddMetaDataStr(COREModule* module, char *key, char *value);
 
+//This returns a malloc'd string that should be freed by the user
+extern const char* COREModuleGetMetaData(COREModule* module);
+
 // BEGIN : directedview
 extern const char** COREDirectedConnectionGetSrc(COREDirectedConnection* directed_connection);
 extern const char** COREDirectedConnectionGetSnk(COREDirectedConnection* directed_connection);
diff --git a/src/coreir-c/coreir-c.cpp b/src/coreir-c/coreir-c.cpp
index b04f89a50..7c88b84a9 100644
--- a/src/coreir-c/coreir-c.cpp
+++ b/src/coreir-c/coreir-c.cpp
@@ -256,6 +256,16 @@ extern "C" {
       count++;
     }
   }
+  
+  const char* COREModuleGetMetaData(COREModule* core_mod) {
+    Module* mod = rcast<Module*>(core_mod);
+    string mstr = mod->getMetaData().dump();
+    std::size_t len = mstr.size() + 1;
+    char* cstr = (char*) malloc(len);
+    strcpy(cstr,mstr.c_str());
+    return cstr;
+  }
+
 
   const char* COREModuleGetName(COREModule* module) {
     return rcast<Module*>(module)->getName().c_str();