diff --git a/code/Version.cpp b/code/Version.cpp
index fe9a2fdaafa82f45457d3133f0b05097a95708aa..eb4cab417b53da2e62e520697a452e2b16bfd0de 100644
--- a/code/Version.cpp
+++ b/code/Version.cpp
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ ASSIMP_API unsigned int aiGetVersionRevision() {
     return GitVersion;
 }
 
+ASSIMP_API const char *aiGetBranchName() {
+    return GitBranch;
+}
+
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ASSIMP_API aiScene::aiScene()
 : mFlags(0)
diff --git a/include/assimp/version.h b/include/assimp/version.h
index d1821fa2bf4b6b9738e12949a5b91fa9677aca42..20ece7fa0e09bc979693aedb1f73ec657317d4cd 100644
--- a/include/assimp/version.h
+++ b/include/assimp/version.h
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ ASSIMP_API unsigned int aiGetVersionMajor (void);
  */
 ASSIMP_API unsigned int aiGetVersionRevision (void);
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/** @brief Returns the branchname of the Assimp runtime.
+ *  @return The current branch name.
+ */
+ASSIMP_API const char *aiGetBranchName();
+
 //! Assimp was compiled as a shared object (Windows: DLL)
 #define ASSIMP_CFLAGS_SHARED  0x1
 //! Assimp was compiled against STLport
diff --git a/test/unit/utVersion.cpp b/test/unit/utVersion.cpp
index a424a27cfb36d69d5651202460031e87116e136e..af16211a1d5a8d5dfcac0bb4375dfbc8bb3d3b32 100644
--- a/test/unit/utVersion.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/utVersion.cpp
@@ -69,3 +69,8 @@ TEST_F( utVersion, aiGetVersionRevisionTest ) {
     EXPECT_NE( aiGetVersionRevision(), 0U );
 }
 
+TEST_F( utVersion, aiGetBranchNameTest ) {
+    EXPECT_NE( nullptr, aiGetBranchName() );
+}
+
+