diff --git a/paramiko/channel.py b/paramiko/channel.py
index c1a2652..b331fbf 100644
--- a/paramiko/channel.py
+++ b/paramiko/channel.py
@@ -265,6 +265,19 @@ class Channel (object):
         self.transport._send_user_message(m)
         self._wait_for_event()
 
+    def exit_status_ready(self):
+        """
+        Return true if the remote process has exited and returned an exit
+        status. You may use this to poll the process status if you don't
+        want to block in L{recv_exit_status}. Note that the server may not
+        return an exit status in some cases (like bad servers).
+        
+        @return: True if L{recv_exit_status} will return immediately
+        @rtype: bool
+        @since: 1.7.3
+        """
+        return self.closed or self.status_event.isSet()
+        
     def recv_exit_status(self):
         """
         Return the exit status from the process on the server.  This is
diff --git a/tests/test_transport.py b/tests/test_transport.py
index 894c69d..f46fda7 100644
--- a/tests/test_transport.py
+++ b/tests/test_transport.py
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ class TransportTest (unittest.TestCase):
         schan = self.ts.accept(1.0)
         chan.exec_command('yes')
         schan.send('Hello there.\n')
+        self.assert_(not chan.exit_status_ready())
         # trigger an EOF
         schan.shutdown_read()
         schan.shutdown_write()
@@ -292,6 +293,12 @@ class TransportTest (unittest.TestCase):
         f = chan.makefile()
         self.assertEquals('Hello there.\n', f.readline())
         self.assertEquals('', f.readline())
+        count = 0
+        while not chan.exit_status_ready():
+            time.sleep(0.1)
+            count += 1
+            if count > 50:
+                raise Exception("timeout")
         self.assertEquals(23, chan.recv_exit_status())
         chan.close()