diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/primary-collection.c b/arangod/VocBase/primary-collection.c
index a0ba36a046..5925253252 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/primary-collection.c
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/primary-collection.c
@@ -712,6 +712,40 @@ void TRI_DebugDatafileInfoPrimaryCollection (TRI_primary_collection_t* primary)
   DebugDatafileInfoPrimaryCollection(primary);
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief iterate over all documents in the collection, using a user-defined
+/// callback function. Returns the total number of documents in the collection
+///
+/// The user can abort the iteration by return "false" from the callback
+/// function.
+///
+/// Note: the function will not acquire any locks. It is the task of the caller
+/// to ensure the collection is properly locked
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+size_t TRI_DocumentIteratorPrimaryCollection (TRI_primary_collection_t* primary,
+                                              void* data,
+                                              bool (*callback)(TRI_doc_mptr_t const*, void*)) {
+  if (primary->_primaryIndex._nrUsed > 0) {
+    void** ptr = primary->_primaryIndex._table;
+    void** end = ptr + primary->_primaryIndex._nrAlloc;
+
+    for (;  ptr < end;  ++ptr) {
+      if (*ptr) {
+        TRI_doc_mptr_t const* d = (TRI_doc_mptr_t const*) *ptr;
+
+        if (d->_validTo == 0) {
+          if (! callback(d, data)) {
+            break;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return (size_t) primary->_primaryIndex._nrUsed;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @}
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/primary-collection.h b/arangod/VocBase/primary-collection.h
index dd88faabe2..4311ef9287 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/primary-collection.h
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/primary-collection.h
@@ -454,6 +454,21 @@ bool TRI_CloseCompactorPrimaryCollection (TRI_primary_collection_t*,
 
 void TRI_DebugDatafileInfoPrimaryCollection (TRI_primary_collection_t*);
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief iterate over all documents in the collection, using a user-defined
+/// callback function. Returns the total number of documents in the collection
+///
+/// The user can abort the iteration by return "false" from the callback
+/// function.
+///
+/// Note: the function will not acquire any locks. It is the task of the caller
+/// to ensure the collection is properly locked
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+size_t TRI_DocumentIteratorPrimaryCollection (TRI_primary_collection_t*,
+                                              void*,
+                                              bool (*callback)(TRI_doc_mptr_t const*, void*));
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @}
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////