diff --git a/include/pdal/Metadata.hpp b/include/pdal/Metadata.hpp
index f7f0e140e0..5f8606b10b 100644
--- a/include/pdal/Metadata.hpp
+++ b/include/pdal/Metadata.hpp
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ class PDAL_DLL Metadata
 
     ~Metadata();
     
-    template <class T> inline void set(T const& v) { m_variant = v; } 
-    template <class T> inline T get() { return boost::get<T>(m_variant); }
+    template <class T> inline void setValue(T const& v) { m_variant = v; } 
+    template <class T> inline T getValue() { return boost::get<T>(m_variant); }
 
     template <class T> inline T cast() { return boost::lexical_cast<T>(m_variant); }    
     Metadata& operator=(Metadata const& rhs);
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ class PDAL_DLL Metadata
     std::string const& getNamespace() const { return m_namespace; }
     void setNamespace(std::string const& ns) { m_namespace = ns; }
     
+    std::vector<std::string> getAttributeNames() const;
+    void addAttribute(std::string const& name, std::string const value);
+    std::string getAttribute(std::string const& name) const;    
+
 private:
     metadata::Variant m_variant;
     std::string m_name;
diff --git a/src/Metadata.cpp b/src/Metadata.cpp
index 433250c97c..373557f0ab 100644
--- a/src/Metadata.cpp
+++ b/src/Metadata.cpp
@@ -71,6 +71,34 @@ Metadata::~Metadata()
 
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> Metadata::getAttributeNames() const
+{
+    std::vector<std::string> output;
+    metadata::MetadataAttributeM::const_iterator i = m_attributes.begin();
+    while (i != m_attributes.end())
+    {
+        output.push_back(i->first);
+        ++i;
+    }
+    
+    return output;
+}
+
+
+void Metadata::addAttribute(std::string const& name, std::string const value)
+{
+    std::pair<std::string, std::string> p(name, value);
+    m_attributes.insert(p);
+}
+
+std::string Metadata::getAttribute(std::string const& name) const
+{
+    metadata::MetadataAttributeM::const_iterator p = m_attributes.find(name);
+    if (p != m_attributes.end())
+        return p->second;
+    else
+        return std::string("");
+}
 
 Metadata& Metadata::operator=(Metadata const& rhs)
 {
diff --git a/test/unit/MetadataTest.cpp b/test/unit/MetadataTest.cpp
index 4a80d08950..6c384c5f25 100644
--- a/test/unit/MetadataTest.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/MetadataTest.cpp
@@ -68,16 +68,26 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_construction)
     
     pdal::Bounds<double> b(1.1,2.2,3.3,101.1,102.2,103.3);
     
-    m.set<boost::uint32_t>(u32);
+    m.setValue<boost::uint32_t>(u32);
     
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(m.get<boost::uint32_t>(), 32u);
-    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(m.get<boost::int32_t>(), boost::bad_get);
+    m.addAttribute("some_id", "some_value");
+    m.addAttribute("another_id", "another_value");
+    
+    std::vector<std::string> names = m.getAttributeNames();
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(names.size(), 2);
+    
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(m.getAttribute("some_id"), "some_value");
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(m.getAttribute("another_id"), "another_value");
+    
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(m.getValue<boost::uint32_t>(), 32u);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(m.getValue<boost::int32_t>(), boost::bad_get);
 
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(m.cast<boost::int32_t>(), 32);    
-    m.set<pdal::metadata::ByteArray>(bytes);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(m.cast<boost::int32_t>(), 32); 
+    m.setValue<pdal::metadata::ByteArray>(bytes);
     
     std::string base64("AAECAwQFBgcICQoLDA0ODxAREhMUFRYXGBkaGxwdHh8gISIjJCUmJygpKissLS4vMDEyMzQ1Njc4OTo7PD0+P0BBQkNERUZHSElKS0xNTk9QUVJTVFVWV1hZWltcXV5fYGFiYw==");
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( boost::lexical_cast<std::string>(m.get<pdal::metadata::ByteArray>()), base64);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( boost::lexical_cast<std::string>(m.getValue<pdal::metadata::ByteArray>()), base64);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(m.getValue<boost::int32_t>(), boost::bad_get);
     
     return;
 }