diff --git a/src/emailAddress.cpp b/src/emailAddress.cpp
index 09d08780..7136a5b4 100644
--- a/src/emailAddress.cpp
+++ b/src/emailAddress.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "vmime/platform.hpp"
 
 #include "vmime/parserHelpers.hpp"
+#include "vmime/utility/outputStreamAdapter.hpp"
 #include "vmime/utility/outputStreamStringAdapter.hpp"
 #include "vmime/utility/stringUtils.hpp"
 
@@ -510,4 +511,18 @@ bool emailAddress::isEmpty() const
 }
 
 
+const string emailAddress::toString() const
+{
+	std::ostringstream oss;
+	utility::outputStreamAdapter adapter(oss);
+
+	generationContext ctx(generationContext::getDefaultContext());
+	ctx.setMaxLineLength(lineLengthLimits::infinite);
+
+	generateImpl(ctx, adapter, 0, NULL);
+
+	return oss.str();
+}
+
+
 } // vmime
diff --git a/vmime/emailAddress.hpp b/vmime/emailAddress.hpp
index 598d0f45..458e6753 100644
--- a/vmime/emailAddress.hpp
+++ b/vmime/emailAddress.hpp
@@ -78,6 +78,13 @@ public:
 	  */
 	bool isEmpty() const;
 
+	/** Returns the email address as a string, by joining components.
+	  * (ie. the local name, followed by a @ then the domain name.)
+	  *
+	  * @return email address as a string
+	  */
+	const string toString() const;
+
 	// Comparison
 	bool operator==(const class emailAddress& eml) const;
 	bool operator!=(const class emailAddress& eml) const;