diff --git a/docs/HISTORY.md b/docs/HISTORY.md
index 7dedf34..c4fa2d2 100644
--- a/docs/HISTORY.md
+++ b/docs/HISTORY.md
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # MongoDB Ruby Driver History
 
+### 1.4.0
+UNRELEASED
+
+* Add Cursor#add_option. Deprecate Cursor#query_opts and replace with Cursor#options.
+
 ### 1.3.1
 2011-5-10
 
diff --git a/lib/mongo/cursor.rb b/lib/mongo/cursor.rb
index 4f567b2..4179c2c 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/cursor.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo/cursor.rb
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@ module Mongo
   class Cursor
     include Mongo::Conversions
     include Enumerable
+    include Mongo::Constants
 
     attr_reader :collection, :selector, :fields,
       :order, :hint, :snapshot, :timeout,
-      :full_collection_name, :transformer
+      :full_collection_name, :transformer,
+      :options
 
     # Create a new cursor.
     #
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ module Mongo
       @limit      = opts[:limit]    || 0
       @tailable   = opts[:tailable] || false
       @timeout    = opts.fetch(:timeout, true)
+      @options    = 0
 
       # Use this socket for the query
       @socket     = opts[:socket]
@@ -73,6 +76,16 @@ module Mongo
       @cache        = []
       @returned     = 0
 
+      if(!@timeout)
+        add_option(OP_QUERY_NO_CURSOR_TIMEOUT)
+      end
+      if(@connection.slave_ok?)
+        add_option(OP_QUERY_SLAVE_OK)
+      end
+      if(@tailable)
+        add_option(OP_QUERY_TAILABLE)
+      end
+
       if @collection.name =~ /^\$cmd/ || @collection.name =~ /^system/
         @command = true
       else
@@ -274,7 +287,8 @@ module Mongo
     #
     # @core explain explain-instance_method
     def explain
-      c = Cursor.new(@collection, query_options_hash.merge(:limit => -@limit.abs, :explain => true))
+      c = Cursor.new(@collection,
+        query_options_hash.merge(:limit => -@limit.abs, :explain => true))
       explanation = c.next_document
       c.close
 
@@ -315,11 +329,21 @@ module Mongo
     # @see http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/Mongo+Wire+Protocol#MongoWireProtocol-Mongo::Constants::OPQUERY
     # The MongoDB wire protocol.
     def query_opts
-      opts     = 0
-      opts    |= Mongo::Constants::OP_QUERY_NO_CURSOR_TIMEOUT unless @timeout
-      opts    |= Mongo::Constants::OP_QUERY_SLAVE_OK if @connection.slave_ok?
-      opts    |= Mongo::Constants::OP_QUERY_TAILABLE if @tailable
-      opts
+      warn "The method Cursor#query_opts has been deprecated " +
+        "and will removed in v2.0. Use Cursor#options instead."
+      @options
+    end
+
+    # Add an option to the query options bitfield.
+    #
+    # @param opt a valid query option
+    #
+    # @return [Integer] the current value of options for this cursor.
+    #
+    # @see http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/Mongo+Wire+Protocol#MongoWireProtocol-Mongo::Constants::OPQUERY
+    def add_option(opt)
+      @options |= opt
+      return @options
     end
 
     # Get the query options for this Cursor.
@@ -418,7 +442,7 @@ module Mongo
 
     def construct_query_message
       message = BSON::ByteBuffer.new
-      message.put_int(query_opts)
+      message.put_int(@options)
       BSON::BSON_RUBY.serialize_cstr(message, "#{@db.name}.#{@collection.name}")
       message.put_int(@skip)
       message.put_int(@limit)
diff --git a/test/cursor_test.rb b/test/cursor_test.rb
index 7942169..b06b58d 100644
--- a/test/cursor_test.rb
+++ b/test/cursor_test.rb
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ require './test/test_helper'
 require 'logger'
 
 class CursorTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
-
   include Mongo
+  include Mongo::Constants
 
   @@connection = standard_connection
   @@db   = @@connection.db(MONGO_TEST_DB)
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ class CursorTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     @@coll_full_name = "#{MONGO_TEST_DB}.test"
   end
 
+  def test_add_options
+    c = @@coll.find
+    c.add_option(OP_QUERY_EXHAUST)
+    assert c.options & OP_QUERY_EXHAUST
+  end
+
   def test_inspect
     selector = {:a => 1}
     cursor = @@coll.find(selector)