diff -Nurp Python-3.2.2/Doc/library/socket.rst Python-3.2.2_new/Doc/library/socket.rst
--- Python-3.2.2/Doc/library/socket.rst	2011-09-03 20:16:39.000000000 +0400
+++ Python-3.2.2_new/Doc/library/socket.rst	2011-10-03 21:49:06.000000000 +0400
@@ -618,16 +618,19 @@ correspond to Unix system calls applicab
    the address family --- see above.)
 
 
-.. method:: socket.getsockopt(level, optname[, buflen])
+.. method:: socket.getsockopt(level, optname[, buflen[, buffer]])
 
    Return the value of the given socket option (see the Unix man page
    :manpage:`getsockopt(2)`).  The needed symbolic constants (:const:`SO_\*` etc.)
-   are defined in this module.  If *buflen* is absent, an integer option is assumed
-   and its integer value is returned by the function.  If *buflen* is present, it
+   are defined in this module.  If *buffer* is present and is a bytes object, it
+   is passed to getsockopt and the return value is a bytes object of the same
+   length.  If *buffer* is absent and *buflen* is an integer, then *buflen*
    specifies the maximum length of the buffer used to receive the option in, and
-   this buffer is returned as a bytes object.  It is up to the caller to decode the
-   contents of the buffer (see the optional built-in module :mod:`struct` for a way
-   to decode C structures encoded as byte strings).
+   this buffer is returned as a bytes object.  If *buflen* is absent, an integer
+   option is assumed and its integer value is returned by the function.  It is up
+   to the caller to encode and decode the contents of the buffer (see the optional
+   built-in module :mod:`struct` for a way to decode C structures encoded as byte
+   strings).
 
 
 .. method:: socket.gettimeout()
diff -Nurp Python-3.2.2/Modules/socketmodule.c Python-3.2.2_new/Modules/socketmodule.c
--- Python-3.2.2/Modules/socketmodule.c	2011-09-03 20:16:47.000000000 +0400
+++ Python-3.2.2_new/Modules/socketmodule.c	2011-10-03 22:09:51.000000000 +0400
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ _dup() -- return a new socket fd duplica
 fileno() -- return underlying file descriptor\n\
 getpeername() -- return remote address [*]\n\
 getsockname() -- return local address\n\
-getsockopt(level, optname[, buflen]) -- get socket options\n\
+getsockopt(level, optname[, buflen[, buffer]]) -- get socket options\n\
 gettimeout() -- return timeout or None\n\
 listen(n) -- start listening for incoming connections\n\
 recv(buflen[, flags]) -- receive data\n\
@@ -1854,8 +1854,10 @@ The value argument can either be an inte
 
 /* s.getsockopt() method.
    With two arguments, retrieves an integer option.
-   With a third integer argument, retrieves a string buffer of that size;
-   use optional built-in module 'struct' to decode the string. */
+   With a third integer argument, retrieves a string buffer of that size.
+   With a fourth argument as a bytes object, retrieves a buffer of the same
+   size, using the argument as an input;
+   use optional built-in module 'struct' to encode and decode the string. */
 
 static PyObject *
 sock_getsockopt(PySocketSockObject *s, PyObject *args)
@@ -1864,12 +1866,16 @@ sock_getsockopt(PySocketSockObject *s, P
     int optname;
     int res;
     PyObject *buf;
-    socklen_t buflen = 0;
+    socklen_t buflen = 0, inputlen = 0;
+    char *inputbuf = (char *)NULL;
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ii|i:getsockopt",
-                          &level, &optname, &buflen))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ii|iy#:getsockopt",
+                          &level, &optname, &buflen, &inputbuf, &inputlen))
         return NULL;
 
+    if (inputlen != 0)
+        buflen = inputlen;
+
     if (buflen == 0) {
         int flag = 0;
         socklen_t flagsize = sizeof flag;
@@ -1890,7 +1896,7 @@ sock_getsockopt(PySocketSockObject *s, P
                         "getsockopt buflen out of range");
         return NULL;
     }
-    buf = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize((char *)NULL, buflen);
+    buf = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize(inputbuf, buflen);
     if (buf == NULL)
         return NULL;
     res = getsockopt(s->sock_fd, level, optname,
@@ -1904,11 +1910,15 @@ sock_getsockopt(PySocketSockObject *s, P
 }
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(getsockopt_doc,
-"getsockopt(level, option[, buffersize]) -> value\n\
+"getsockopt(level, option[, buflen[, buffer]]) -> value\n\
 \n\
 Get a socket option.  See the Unix manual for level and option.\n\
-If a nonzero buffersize argument is given, the return value is a\n\
-string of that length; otherwise it is an integer.");
+If buffer argument is given and is a non-empty bytes object,\n\
+it is passed to getsockopt and the return value is a bytes object\n\
+of the same length.\n\
+Otherwise, if a nonzero integer buflen argument is given,\n\
+the return value is a string of that length.\n\
+Otherwise the return value is an integer.");
 
 
 /* s.bind(sockaddr) method */