diff --git a/src/client/response.rs b/src/client/response.rs
index 396645ac87..66181f1d42 100644
--- a/src/client/response.rs
+++ b/src/client/response.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ pub struct Response {
 }
 
 impl Response {
-
     /// Creates a new response from a server.
     pub fn new(url: Url, stream: Box<NetworkStream + Send>) -> ::Result<Response> {
         trace!("Response::new");
@@ -62,6 +61,12 @@ impl Response {
     pub fn status_raw(&self) -> &RawStatus {
         &self.status_raw
     }
+
+    /// Gets a borrowed reference to the underlying `HttpMessage`.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn get_ref(&self) -> &HttpMessage {
+        &*self.message
+    }
 }
 
 /// Read the response body.
diff --git a/src/http/h1.rs b/src/http/h1.rs
index c5ca944280..17207246df 100644
--- a/src/http/h1.rs
+++ b/src/http/h1.rs
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ impl Http11Message {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Gets a mutable reference to the underlying `NetworkStream`, regardless of the state of the
+    /// Gets a borrowed reference to the underlying `NetworkStream`, regardless of the state of the
     /// `Http11Message`.
     pub fn get_ref(&self) -> &(NetworkStream + Send) {
         match *self.stream.as_ref() {