diff --git a/doc/api.txt b/doc/api.txt
index 1815dfd695..752eecf165 100644
--- a/doc/api.txt
+++ b/doc/api.txt
@@ -143,10 +143,11 @@ Gets/sets the group identity of the process. (See setgid(2).)
 +process.chdir(directory)+::
 Changes the current working directory of the process.
 
-+process.umask(mask)+ ::
-Sets the process's file mode creation mask. Child processes inherit the mask 
-from the parent process.
-  - returns the old mask.
++process.umask([mask])+ ::
+Sets or read the process's file mode creation mask. Child processes inherit
+the mask from the parent process.
+  - returns the old mask if +mask+ argument is given, otherwise returns 
+the current mask.
 
 +process.kill(pid, signal="SIGTERM")+ ::
 Send a signal to a process. +pid+ is the process id and +signal+ is the
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 4af11e2c48..f76e4267d7 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -471,14 +471,18 @@ static Handle<Value> Cwd(const Arguments& args) {
 
 static Handle<Value> Umask(const Arguments& args){
   HandleScope scope;
-
-  if(args.Length() < 1 || !args[0]->IsInt32()) {
+  unsigned int old;
+  if(args.Length() < 1) {
+    old = umask(0);
+    umask((mode_t)old);
+  }
+  else if(!args[0]->IsInt32()) {
     return ThrowException(Exception::TypeError(
           String::New("argument must be an integer.")));
   }
-  unsigned int mask = args[0]->Uint32Value();
-  unsigned int old = umask((mode_t)mask);
-
+  else {
+    old = umask((mode_t)args[0]->Uint32Value());
+  }
   return scope.Close(Uint32::New(old));
 }
 
diff --git a/test/simple/test-umask.js b/test/simple/test-umask.js
index 5509cd132c..8674642bae 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-umask.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-umask.js
@@ -3,4 +3,10 @@ process.mixin(require("../common"));
 var mask = 0664;
 var old = process.umask(mask);
 
-assert.equal(true, mask === process.umask(old));
+assert.equal(mask, process.umask(old));
+
+// confirm reading the umask does not modify it.
+// 1. If the test fails, this call will succeed, but the mask will be set to 0
+assert.equal(old, process.umask());
+// 2. If the test fails, process.umask() will return 0
+assert.equal(old, process.umask());