diff --git a/docs/reference/glib/glib-sections.txt b/docs/reference/glib/glib-sections.txt
index b73ba1cc0..1717ba37d 100644
--- a/docs/reference/glib/glib-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/reference/glib/glib-sections.txt
@@ -3499,4 +3499,5 @@ g_ref_string_new
 g_ref_string_new_intern
 g_ref_string_acquire
 g_ref_string_release
+g_ref_string_length
 </SECTION>
diff --git a/glib/grefstring.c b/glib/grefstring.c
index cc62c8011..9d64a968b 100644
--- a/glib/grefstring.c
+++ b/glib/grefstring.c
@@ -173,3 +173,21 @@ g_ref_string_release (char *str)
 
   g_arc_box_release_full (str, remove_if_interned);
 }
+
+/**
+ * g_ref_string_length:
+ * @str: a reference counted string
+ *
+ * Retrieves the length of @str.
+ *
+ * Returns: the length of the given string, in bytes
+ *
+ * Since: 2.58
+ */
+gsize
+g_ref_string_length (char *str)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (str != NULL && *str != '\0', 0);
+
+  return g_arc_box_get_size (str) - 1;
+}
diff --git a/glib/grefstring.h b/glib/grefstring.h
index f2156fef4..2afe23a73 100644
--- a/glib/grefstring.h
+++ b/glib/grefstring.h
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ char *  g_ref_string_acquire    (char       *str);
 GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_2_58
 void    g_ref_string_release    (char       *str);
 
+GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_2_58
+gsize   g_ref_string_length     (char       *str);
+
 typedef char GRefString;
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/glib/tests/refstring.c b/glib/tests/refstring.c
index 0181be945..67b3ca302 100644
--- a/glib/tests/refstring.c
+++ b/glib/tests/refstring.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ test_refstring_base (void)
   g_test_message ("s = '%s' (%p)", s, s);
   g_assert_cmpint (strcmp (s, "hello, world"), ==, 0);
   g_assert_cmpint (strlen (s), ==, strlen ("hello, world"));
+  g_assert_cmpuint (g_ref_string_length (s), ==, strlen ("hello, world"));
 
   g_ref_string_release (s);
 }