diff --git a/include/riak_pb_kv_codec.hrl b/include/riak_pb_kv_codec.hrl
index 45d2adc5..80dca5e4 100644
--- a/include/riak_pb_kv_codec.hrl
+++ b/include/riak_pb_kv_codec.hrl
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 -define(MD_LASTMOD,  <<"X-Riak-Last-Modified">>).
 -define(MD_USERMETA, <<"X-Riak-Meta">>).
 -define(MD_INDEX,    <<"index">>).
+-define(MD_DELETED, <<"X-Riak-Deleted">>).
 
 %% Content-Type for Erlang term_to_binary format
 -define(CTYPE_ERLANG_BINARY, "application/x-erlang-binary").
diff --git a/src/riak_kv.proto b/src/riak_kv.proto
index 43198760..9e8fe2a4 100644
--- a/src/riak_kv.proto
+++ b/src/riak_kv.proto
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ message RpbContent {
     optional uint32 last_mod_usecs = 8;
     repeated RpbPair usermeta = 9;       // user metadata stored with the object
     repeated RpbPair indexes = 10;       // user metadata stored with the object
+    optional bool deleted = 11;
 }
 
 // Link metadata
diff --git a/src/riak_pb_kv_codec.erl b/src/riak_pb_kv_codec.erl
index 53389037..d496c56a 100644
--- a/src/riak_pb_kv_codec.erl
+++ b/src/riak_pb_kv_codec.erl
@@ -96,11 +96,25 @@ encode_content_meta(?MD_USERMETA, UserMeta, PbContent) when is_list(UserMeta) ->
     PbContent#rpbcontent{usermeta = [encode_pair(E) || E <- UserMeta]};
 encode_content_meta(?MD_INDEX, Indexes, PbContent) when is_list(Indexes) ->
     PbContent#rpbcontent{indexes = [encode_pair(E) || E <- Indexes]};
+encode_content_meta(?MD_DELETED, DeletedVal, PbContent) ->
+    PbContent#rpbcontent{deleted=header_val_to_bool(DeletedVal)};
 encode_content_meta(_Key, _Value, PbContent) ->
     %% Ignore unknown metadata - need to add to RpbContent if it needs to make it
     %% to/from the client
     PbContent.
 
+%% @doc Return a boolean based on a header value.
+%% Representations of `true' return `true'; anything
+%% else returns `false'.
+-spec header_val_to_bool(term()) -> boolean().
+header_val_to_bool(<<"true">>) ->
+    true;
+header_val_to_bool("true") ->
+    true;
+header_val_to_bool(true) ->
+    true;
+header_val_to_bool(_) ->
+    false.
 
 %% @doc Convert a list of rpbcontent pb messages to a list of [{MetaData,Value}] tuples
 -spec decode_contents(PBContents::[tuple()]) -> contents().
@@ -136,7 +150,10 @@ decode_content_meta(usermeta, PbUserMeta, _Pb) ->
     [{?MD_USERMETA, UserMeta}];
 decode_content_meta(indexes, PbIndexes, _Pb) ->
     Indexes = [decode_pair(E) || E <- PbIndexes],
-    [{?MD_INDEX, Indexes}].
+    [{?MD_INDEX, Indexes}];
+decode_content_meta(deleted, DeletedVal, _Pb) ->
+    [{?MD_DELETED, DeletedVal}].
+
 
 %% @doc Convert an rpccontent pb message to an erlang {MetaData,Value} tuple
 -spec decode_content(PBContent::tuple()) -> {riakc_obj:metadata(), riakc_obj:value()}.
@@ -148,7 +165,8 @@ decode_content(PbC) ->
           decode_content_meta(links, PbC#rpbcontent.links, PbC) ++
           decode_content_meta(last_mod, PbC#rpbcontent.last_mod, PbC) ++
           decode_content_meta(usermeta, PbC#rpbcontent.usermeta, PbC) ++
-          decode_content_meta(indexes, PbC#rpbcontent.indexes, PbC),
+          decode_content_meta(indexes, PbC#rpbcontent.indexes, PbC) ++
+          decode_content_meta(deleted, PbC#rpbcontent.deleted, PbC),
 
     {dict:from_list(MD), PbC#rpbcontent.value}.
 
diff --git a/test/encoding_test.erl b/test/encoding_test.erl
index 0186b879..672bc9ca 100644
--- a/test/encoding_test.erl
+++ b/test/encoding_test.erl
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ pb_test_() ->
                                {?MD_USERMETA, [{"X-Riak-Meta-MyMetaData1","here it is"},
                                                {"X-Riak-Meta-MoreMd", "have some more"}
                                               ]},
-                               {?MD_INDEX, []}
+                               {?MD_INDEX, []},
+                               {?MD_DELETED, true}
                               ]),
                  Value = <<"test value">>,
                  {MetaData2, Value2} = riak_pb_kv_codec:decode_content(
@@ -30,6 +31,24 @@ pb_test_() ->
                  ?assertEqual(true, MdSame),
                  Value = Value2
              end)},
+{"deleted header encode decode",
+      ?_test(begin
+                 InputMD = [dict:from_list([{?MD_DELETED, DelVal}]) ||
+                               DelVal <- [true, "true", false, <<"rubbish">>]],
+                 Value = <<"test value">>,
+                 {OutputMD, _} = lists:unzip(
+                                   [riak_pb_kv_codec:decode_content(
+                                      riak_kv_pb:decode_rpbcontent(
+                                        riak_kv_pb:encode_rpbcontent(
+                                          riak_pb_kv_codec:encode_content({MD, Value})))) ||
+                                       MD <- InputMD]),
+                 MdSame1 = (lists:sort(dict:to_list(lists:nth(1, OutputMD))) =:=
+                               lists:sort(dict:to_list(lists:nth(2, OutputMD)))),
+                 MdSame2 = (lists:sort(dict:to_list(lists:nth(3, OutputMD))) =:=
+                               lists:sort(dict:to_list(lists:nth(4, OutputMD)))),
+                 ?assertEqual(true, MdSame1),
+                 ?assertEqual(true, MdSame2)
+             end)},
      {"empty content encode decode",
       ?_test(begin
                  MetaData = dict:new(),