diff --git a/lib/ace/document.js b/lib/ace/document.js
index 0e6258a4..db6e4d54 100644
--- a/lib/ace/document.js
+++ b/lib/ace/document.js
@@ -123,6 +123,14 @@ var Document = function(text) {
     this.getLines = function(firstRow, lastRow) {
         return this.$lines.slice(firstRow, lastRow+1);
     };
+    
+    /**
+     * Returns all lines in the document as string array. Warning: The caller 
+     * should not modify this array!
+     */
+    this.getAllLines = function() {
+        return this.$lines;
+    };
 
     this.getLength = function() {
         return this.$lines.length;
@@ -287,6 +295,13 @@ var Document = function(text) {
         return range.start;
     };
     
+    /**
+     * Removes a range of full lines
+     * 
+     * @param firstRow {Integer} The first row to be removed
+     * @param firstRow {Integer} The first row to be removed
+     * @return {String[]} The removed lines
+     */
     this.removeLines = function(firstRow, lastRow) {
         var range = new Range(firstRow, 0, lastRow, this.$lines[lastRow].length);        
         var removed = this.$lines.splice(firstRow, lastRow - firstRow + 1);
@@ -298,6 +313,7 @@ var Document = function(text) {
             lines: removed
         };
         this._dispatchEvent("change", { data: delta });
+        return removed;
     };
     
     this.removeNewLine = function(row) {
diff --git a/lib/ace/test/document_test.js b/lib/ace/test/document_test.js
index 5fc27ec3..2d8f9b33 100644
--- a/lib/ace/test/document_test.js
+++ b/lib/ace/test/document_test.js
@@ -231,6 +231,13 @@ var Test = {
         doc.remove(new Range(1, 0, 3, 0));
         assert.equal(doc.getValue(), ["1234", ""].join("\n"));
     },
+    
+    "test: remove lines should return the removed lines" : function() {
+        var doc = new Document(["1234", "5678", "abcd"]);
+        
+        var removed = doc.removeLines(1, 2);
+        assert.equal(removed.join("\n"), ["5678", "abcd"].join("\n"));
+    },
 
     "test: should handle unix style new lines" : function() {
         var doc = new Document(["1", "2", "3"]);