diff --git a/python/gui/qgisinterface.sip b/python/gui/qgisinterface.sip
index 2401d3f70109..b4548191b487 100644
--- a/python/gui/qgisinterface.sip
+++ b/python/gui/qgisinterface.sip
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ class QgisInterface : QObject
     virtual QgsVectorLayer* addVectorLayer(QString vectorLayerPath, QString baseName, QString providerKey)=0;
     //! Add a raster layer given a raster layer file name
     virtual QgsRasterLayer* addRasterLayer(QString rasterLayerPath, QString baseName = QString())=0;
+    //! Add a WMS layer
+    virtual QgsRasterLayer* addRasterLayer(const QString& url, const QString& layerName, const QString& providerKey, const QStringList& layers, const QStringList& styles, const QString& format, const QString& crs) = 0;
 
     //! Add a project
     virtual bool addProject(QString theProject)=0; 
diff --git a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
index 7a7d13d41a7d..3707bd64c79e 100644
--- a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
@@ -5216,7 +5216,7 @@ QgsRasterLayer* QgisApp::addRasterLayer(QString const & rasterFile, QString cons
   \note   Copied from the equivalent addVectorLayer function in this file
   TODO    Make it work for rasters specifically.
   */
-void QgisApp::addRasterLayer(QString const & rasterLayerPath,
+QgsRasterLayer* QgisApp::addRasterLayer(QString const & rasterLayerPath,
     QString const & baseName,
     QString const & providerKey,
     QStringList const & layers,
@@ -5232,7 +5232,7 @@ void QgisApp::addRasterLayer(QString const & rasterLayerPath,
 
   if(mMapCanvas && mMapCanvas->isDrawing())
     {
-      return;
+      return 0;
     }
 
   mMapCanvas->freeze();
@@ -5278,6 +5278,7 @@ void QgisApp::addRasterLayer(QString const & rasterLayerPath,
   // draw the map
   mMapCanvas->freeze(false);
   mMapCanvas->refresh();
+  return layer;
 
 // Let render() do its own cursor management
 //  QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
diff --git a/src/app/qgisapp.h b/src/app/qgisapp.h
index b02bf69d7f61..bf3ea32c9362 100644
--- a/src/app/qgisapp.h
+++ b/src/app/qgisapp.h
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class QgisApp : public QMainWindow
    *  Note this is included to support WMS layers only at this stage,
    *  GDAL layer support via a Provider is not yet implemented.
    */
-  void addRasterLayer(QString const & rasterLayerPath,
+  QgsRasterLayer* addRasterLayer(QString const & rasterLayerPath,
       QString const & baseName,
       QString const & providerKey,
       QStringList const & layers,
diff --git a/src/app/qgisappinterface.cpp b/src/app/qgisappinterface.cpp
index 693878850412..235fde1e90c0 100644
--- a/src/app/qgisappinterface.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgisappinterface.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ QgsRasterLayer* QgisAppInterface::addRasterLayer(QString rasterLayerPath, QStrin
   return qgis->addRasterLayer(rasterLayerPath, baseName);
 }
 
+QgsRasterLayer* QgisAppInterface::addRasterLayer(const QString& url, const QString& baseName, const QString& providerKey, \
+						 const QStringList& layers, const QStringList& styles, const QString& format, const QString& crs)
+{
+  return qgis->addRasterLayer(url, baseName, providerKey, layers, styles, format, crs);
+}
+
 
 bool QgisAppInterface::addProject(QString theProjectName)
 {
diff --git a/src/app/qgisappinterface.h b/src/app/qgisappinterface.h
index 94b680ebb3a4..d5620dff58e2 100644
--- a/src/app/qgisappinterface.h
+++ b/src/app/qgisappinterface.h
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ class QgisAppInterface : public QgisInterface
         QgsVectorLayer* addVectorLayer(QString vectorLayerPath, QString baseName, QString providerKey);
         //! Add a raster layer given its file name
         QgsRasterLayer* addRasterLayer(QString rasterLayerPath, QString baseName);
+	//! Add a WMS layer
+	QgsRasterLayer* addRasterLayer(const QString& url, const QString& baseName, const QString& providerKey, \
+				       const QStringList& layers, const QStringList& styles, const QString& format, const QString& crs);
 
         //! Add a project
         bool addProject(QString theProjectName);
diff --git a/src/gui/qgisinterface.h b/src/gui/qgisinterface.h
index d9ccb818a849..86b547c022db 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgisinterface.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgisinterface.h
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgisInterface : public QObject
     virtual QgsVectorLayer* addVectorLayer(QString vectorLayerPath, QString baseName, QString providerKey)=0;
     //! Add a raster layer given a raster layer file name
     virtual QgsRasterLayer* addRasterLayer(QString rasterLayerPath, QString baseName = QString())=0;
+    //! Add a WMS layer
+    virtual QgsRasterLayer* addRasterLayer(const QString& url, const QString& layerName, const QString& providerKey, const QStringList& layers, \
+					   const QStringList& styles, const QString& format, const QString& crs) = 0;
 
     //! Add a project
     virtual bool addProject(QString theProject)=0;