diff --git a/libcassandra/cassandra.cc b/libcassandra/cassandra.cc
index bb2617d..be8cc54 100644
--- a/libcassandra/cassandra.cc
+++ b/libcassandra/cassandra.cc
@@ -282,6 +282,15 @@ string Cassandra::getColumnValue(const string& key,
 }
 
 
+int64_t Cassandra::getIntegerColumnValue(const string& key,
+                                         const string& column_family,
+                                         const string& column_name)
+{
+	string ret= getColumn(key, column_family, column_name).value;
+  return deserializeLong(ret);
+}
+
+
 SuperColumn Cassandra::getSuperColumn(const string& key,
                                       const string& column_family,
                                       const string& super_column_name,
diff --git a/libcassandra/cassandra.h b/libcassandra/cassandra.h
index 85419ac..a3bdbf6 100644
--- a/libcassandra/cassandra.h
+++ b/libcassandra/cassandra.h
@@ -274,6 +274,19 @@ class Cassandra
                              const std::string& column_family,
                              const std::string& column_name);
 
+  /**
+   * Retrieve a column value
+   *
+   * @param[in] key the column key
+   * @param[in] column_family the column family
+   * @param[in] column_name the column name (optional)
+   * @return the value for the column that corresponds to the given parameters
+   *         but as an integer
+   */
+  int64_t getIntegerColumnValue(const std::string& key,
+                                const std::string& column_family,
+                                const std::string& column_name);
+
   org::apache::cassandra::SuperColumn getSuperColumn(const std::string& key,
                                                      const std::string& column_family,
                                                      const std::string& super_column_name,
diff --git a/libcassandra/util_functions.cc b/libcassandra/util_functions.cc
index 502d6f8..d00cc0f 100644
--- a/libcassandra/util_functions.cc
+++ b/libcassandra/util_functions.cc
@@ -232,8 +232,7 @@ vector<SuperColumn> getSuperColumnList(vector<ColumnOrSuperColumn>& cols)
        ++it)
   {
     ret.push_back((*it).super_column);
-  }
-  return ret;
+  } return ret;
 }
 
 
@@ -259,4 +258,28 @@ string serializeLong(int64_t t)
   return string(reinterpret_cast<const char *>(raw_array), 8);
 }
 
+
+int64_t deserializeLong(string& t)
+{
+  int64_t ret= 0;
+  int64_t tmp= 0;
+  unsigned char *raw_array= reinterpret_cast<unsigned char *>(const_cast<char *>(t.c_str()));
+  ret|= raw_array[7];
+  tmp= raw_array[6];
+  ret|= (tmp << 8);
+  tmp= raw_array[5];
+  ret|= (tmp << 16);
+  tmp= raw_array[4];
+  ret|= (tmp << 24);
+  tmp= raw_array[3];
+  ret|= (tmp << 32);
+  tmp= raw_array[2];
+  ret|= (tmp << 40);
+  tmp= raw_array[1];
+  ret|= (tmp << 48);
+  tmp= raw_array[0];
+  ret|= (tmp << 56);
+  return ret;
+}
+
 } /* end namespace libcassandra */
diff --git a/libcassandra/util_functions.h b/libcassandra/util_functions.h
index 1e95070..bb1f544 100644
--- a/libcassandra/util_functions.h
+++ b/libcassandra/util_functions.h
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ int64_t createTimestamp();
  */
 std::string serializeLong(int64_t t);
 
+/**
+ * Convert given string in big-endian format
+ * to a 64 bit integer
+ * @param[in] t string to work with
+ * @return a int64_t 
+ */
+int64_t deserializeLong(std::string& t);
+
 } /* end namespace libcassandra */
 
 #endif /* __LIBCASSANDRA_UTIL_FUNCTIONS_H */
diff --git a/tests/cassandra_client_test.cc b/tests/cassandra_client_test.cc
index 2ad6892..7e5e453 100644
--- a/tests/cassandra_client_test.cc
+++ b/tests/cassandra_client_test.cc
@@ -143,6 +143,25 @@ TEST_F(ClientTest, InsertColumn)
 }
 
 
+TEST_F(ClientTest, InsertLongColumn)
+{
+  int64_t mock_data= 56;
+  KeyspaceDefinition ks_def;
+  ks_def.setName("unittest");
+  c->createKeyspace(ks_def);
+  ColumnFamilyDefinition cf_def;
+  cf_def.setName("padraig");
+  cf_def.setKeyspaceName(ks_def.getName());
+  c->setKeyspace(ks_def.getName());
+  c->createColumnFamily(cf_def);
+  c->insertColumn("sarah", "padraig", "third", mock_data);
+  int64_t res= c->getIntegerColumnValue("sarah", "padraig", "third");
+  EXPECT_EQ(mock_data, res);
+  c->dropColumnFamily("padraig");
+  c->dropKeyspace("unittest");
+}
+
+
 TEST_F(ClientTest, DeleteColumn)
 {
   KeyspaceDefinition ks_def;