diff --git a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/connection.hpp b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/connection.hpp
index a7185a5..50e0207 100644
--- a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/connection.hpp
+++ b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/connection.hpp
@@ -53,6 +53,33 @@
     this->get_service().open(this->get_implementation(), bus);
   }
 
+
+  /// Request a name on the bus.
+  /**
+ * @param name The name requested on the bus
+ *
+ * @return
+ *
+ * @throws boost::system::system_error When the response timed out or
+ * there was some other error.
+ */
+  void request_name(const string& name) {
+      this->get_implementation().request_name(name);
+  }
+
+  /// Reply to a message.
+  /**
+ * @param m The message from which to create the reply
+ *
+ * @return The new reply message
+ *
+ * @throws boost::system::system_error When the response timed out or
+ * there was some other error.
+ */
+  message reply(message& m) {
+    return this->get_implementation().new_method_return(m);
+  }
+
   /// Send a message.
   /**
  * @param m The message to send.
@@ -125,6 +152,8 @@
   friend class filter;
 };
 
+typedef std::shared_ptr<connection> connection_ptr;
+
 }  // namespace dbus
 
 #endif  // DBUS_CONNECTION_HPP
diff --git a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/endpoint.hpp b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/endpoint.hpp
index a574e8f..2955a34 100644
--- a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/endpoint.hpp
+++ b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/endpoint.hpp
@@ -16,17 +16,32 @@
   string process_name_;
   string path_;
   string interface_;
+  string member_;
 
  public:
   endpoint(const string& process_name, const string& path,
            const string& interface)
       : process_name_(process_name), path_(path), interface_(interface) {}
 
+  endpoint(const string& process_name, const string& path,
+           const string& interface, const string& member)
+      : process_name_(process_name), path_(path),
+        interface_(interface), member_(member) {}
+
   const string& get_path() const { return path_; }
 
   const string& get_interface() const { return interface_; }
 
   const string& get_process_name() const { return process_name_; }
+
+  const string& get_member() const { return member_; }
+
+  const bool operator == (const endpoint &other) const {
+    return (process_name_ == other.process_name_ &&
+            path_ == other.path_ &&
+            interface_ == other.interface_ &&
+            member_ == other.member_);
+  }
 };
 
 }  // namespace dbus
diff --git a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/filter.hpp b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/filter.hpp
index 5d60d33..b0f0db4 100644
--- a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/filter.hpp
+++ b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/filter.hpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  * Filters examine incoming messages, demuxing them to multiple queues.
  */
 class filter {
-  connection& connection_;
+  connection_ptr connection_;
   std::function<bool(message&)> predicate_;
   detail::queue<message> queue_;
 
@@ -31,24 +31,25 @@
   }
 
   template <typename MessagePredicate>
-  filter(connection& c, BOOST_ASIO_MOVE_ARG(MessagePredicate) p)
+  filter(connection_ptr c, BOOST_ASIO_MOVE_ARG(MessagePredicate) p)
       : connection_(c),
         predicate_(BOOST_ASIO_MOVE_CAST(MessagePredicate)(p)),
-        queue_(connection_.get_io_service()) {
-    connection_.new_filter(*this);
+        queue_(connection_->get_io_service()) {
+    connection_->new_filter(*this);
   }
 
-  ~filter() { connection_.delete_filter(*this); }
+  ~filter() { connection_->delete_filter(*this); }
 
   template <typename MessageHandler>
   inline BOOST_ASIO_INITFN_RESULT_TYPE(MessageHandler,
                                        void(boost::system::error_code, message))
       async_dispatch(BOOST_ASIO_MOVE_ARG(MessageHandler) handler) {
     // begin asynchronous operation
-    connection_.get_implementation().start(connection_.get_io_service());
+    connection_->get_implementation().start(connection_->get_io_service());
 
     return queue_.async_pop(BOOST_ASIO_MOVE_CAST(MessageHandler)(handler));
   }
+
 };
 }  // namespace dbus
 
diff --git a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/impl/connection.ipp b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/impl/connection.ipp
index 24a257d..c4c0605 100644
--- a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/impl/connection.ipp
+++ b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/impl/connection.ipp
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@
     detail::set_watch_timeout_dispatch_functions(conn, io);
   }
 
+  void request_name(const string& name) {
+    error e;
+    dbus_bus_request_name(conn, name.c_str(),
+			 DBUS_NAME_FLAG_DO_NOT_QUEUE | DBUS_NAME_FLAG_REPLACE_EXISTING, e);
+    e.throw_if_set();
+  }
+
   ~connection() {
     if (conn != NULL) {
       dbus_connection_close(conn);
@@ -51,6 +58,10 @@
     }
   }
 
+  message new_method_return(message &m) {
+  	return dbus_message_new_method_return(m);
+  }
+
   operator DBusConnection*() { return conn; }
   operator const DBusConnection*() const { return conn; }
 
diff --git a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/match.hpp b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/match.hpp
index 0488aa0..cdcd169 100644
--- a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/match.hpp
+++ b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/match.hpp
@@ -22,16 +22,16 @@
  * dispose of the object.
  */
 class match {
-  connection& connection_;
+  connection_ptr connection_;
   std::string expression_;
 
  public:
-  match(connection& c, BOOST_ASIO_MOVE_ARG(std::string) e)
+  match(connection_ptr c, BOOST_ASIO_MOVE_ARG(std::string) e)
       : connection_(c), expression_(BOOST_ASIO_MOVE_CAST(std::string)(e)) {
-    connection_.new_match(*this);
+    connection_->new_match(*this);
   }
 
-  ~match() { connection_.delete_match(*this); }
+  ~match() { connection_->delete_match(*this); }
 
   const std::string& get_expression() const { return expression_; }
 
diff --git a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/message.hpp b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/message.hpp
index 695e1fc..e4b0255 100644
--- a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/message.hpp
+++ b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/message.hpp
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@
         dbus_message_type_to_string(dbus_message_get_type(message_.get())));
   }
 
+  string get_signature() const {
+    return sanitize(dbus_message_get_signature(message_.get()));
+  }
+
   string get_sender() const {
     return sanitize(dbus_message_get_sender(message_.get()));
   }