diff --git a/app/display/gimpimagewindow.c b/app/display/gimpimagewindow.c
index 33a8b7061a..18749e04af 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpimagewindow.c
+++ b/app/display/gimpimagewindow.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "widgets/gimpmenufactory.h"
 #include "widgets/gimpuimanager.h"
 
+#include "gimpdisplayshell.h"
 #include "gimpimagewindow.h"
 
 #include "gimp-intl.h"
@@ -169,3 +170,14 @@ gimp_image_window_destroy (GtkObject *object)
 
   GTK_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->destroy (object);
 }
+
+
+/*  public functions  */
+
+GimpDisplay *
+gimp_image_window_get_active_display (GimpImageWindow *window)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_IMAGE_WINDOW (window), NULL);
+
+  return GIMP_DISPLAY_SHELL (window)->display;
+}
diff --git a/app/display/gimpimagewindow.h b/app/display/gimpimagewindow.h
index e061f5066f..f942a0b660 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpimagewindow.h
+++ b/app/display/gimpimagewindow.h
@@ -45,7 +45,10 @@ struct _GimpImageWindowClass
 };
 
 
-GType   gimp_image_window_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
+GType         gimp_image_window_get_type           (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
+
+GimpDisplay * gimp_image_window_get_active_display (GimpImageWindow *window);
+
 
 
 #endif /* __GIMP_IMAGE_WINDOW_H__ */