diff --git a/lib/rake/private_reader.rb b/lib/rake/private_reader.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..162097857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rake/private_reader.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+module Rake
+
+  # Include PrivateReader to use +private_reader+.
+  module PrivateReader           # :nodoc: all
+
+    def self.included(base)
+      base.extend(ClassMethods)
+    end
+
+    module ClassMethods
+
+      # Declare a list of private accessors
+      def private_reader(*names)
+        attr_reader(*names)
+        private(*names)
+      end
+    end
+
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/rake/thread_history_display.rb b/lib/rake/thread_history_display.rb
index facc1bebc..9566a6cd4 100644
--- a/lib/rake/thread_history_display.rb
+++ b/lib/rake/thread_history_display.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
+require 'rake/private_reader'
+
 module Rake
 
   class ThreadHistoryDisplay    # :nodoc: all
-    attr_reader :stats, :items, :threads
-    private :stats, :items, :threads
+    include Rake::PrivateReader
+
+    private_reader :stats, :items, :threads
 
     def initialize(stats)
       @stats   = stats
diff --git a/test/test_private_reader.rb b/test/test_private_reader.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f86d4249b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_private_reader.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+require File.expand_path('../helper', __FILE__)
+require 'rake/private_reader'
+
+class TestPrivateAttrs < Rake::TestCase
+
+  class Sample
+    include Rake::PrivateReader
+
+    private_reader :reader, :a
+
+    def initialize
+      @reader = :RVALUE
+    end
+
+    def get_reader
+      reader
+    end
+
+  end
+
+  def setup
+    super
+    @sample = Sample.new
+  end
+
+  def test_private_reader_is_private
+    assert_private do @sample.reader end
+    assert_private do @sample.a end
+  end
+
+  def test_private_reader_returns_data
+    assert_equal :RVALUE, @sample.get_reader
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def assert_private
+    ex = assert_raises(NoMethodError) do yield end
+    assert_match(/private/, ex.message)
+  end
+
+end