diff --git a/ext/readline/extconf.rb b/ext/readline/extconf.rb
index b8e9e0f..62d3559 100644
--- a/ext/readline/extconf.rb
+++ b/ext/readline/extconf.rb
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ have_readline_var("rl_point")
 /mswin|bccwin|mingw/ !~ RUBY_PLATFORM && have_readline_var("rl_event_hook")
 /mswin|bccwin|mingw/ !~ RUBY_PLATFORM && have_readline_var("rl_catch_sigwinch")
 /mswin|bccwin|mingw/ !~ RUBY_PLATFORM && have_readline_var("rl_catch_signals")
+have_readline_var("rl_special_prefixes")
 have_readline_func("rl_cleanup_after_signal")
 have_readline_func("rl_free_line_state")
 have_readline_func("rl_clear_signals")
diff --git a/ext/readline/readline.c b/ext/readline/readline.c
index 423e585..81a3e51 100644
--- a/ext/readline/readline.c
+++ b/ext/readline/readline.c
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ static ID completion_proc, completion_case_fold;
 #if USE_INSERT_IGNORE_ESCAPE
 static ID id_orig_prompt, id_last_prompt;
 #endif
+#if defined(HAVE_RL_SPECIAL_PREFIXES)
+static ID id_special_prefixes;
+#endif
 
 #ifndef HAVE_RL_FILENAME_COMPLETION_FUNCTION
 # define rl_filename_completion_function filename_completion_function
@@ -1069,6 +1072,43 @@ readline_s_get_completer_word_break_characters(VALUE self, VALUE str)
 #define readline_s_get_completer_word_break_characters rb_f_notimplement
 #endif
 
+#if defined(HAVE_RL_SPECIAL_PREFIXES)
+static VALUE
+readline_s_set_special_prefixes(VALUE self, VALUE str)
+{
+    rb_secure(4);
+    if (!NIL_P(str)) {
+	OutputStringValue(str);
+	str = rb_str_dup_frozen(str);
+	RBASIC(str)->klass = 0;
+    }
+    rb_ivar_set(mReadline, id_special_prefixes, str);
+    if (NIL_P(str)) {
+	rl_special_prefixes = NULL;
+    }
+    else {
+	rl_special_prefixes = RSTRING_PTR(str);
+    }
+    return self;
+}
+
+static VALUE
+readline_s_get_special_prefixes(VALUE self)
+{
+    VALUE str;
+    rb_secure(4);
+    str = rb_ivar_get(mReadline, id_special_prefixes);
+    if (!NIL_P(str)) {
+	str = rb_str_dup_frozen(str);
+	RBASIC(str)->klass = rb_cString;
+    }
+    return str;
+}
+#else
+#define readline_s_set_special_prefixes rb_f_notimplement
+#define readline_s_get_special_prefixes rb_f_notimplement
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HAVE_RL_BASIC_QUOTE_CHARACTERS
 /*
  * call-seq:
@@ -1531,6 +1571,9 @@ Init_readline()
 
     completion_proc = rb_intern(COMPLETION_PROC);
     completion_case_fold = rb_intern(COMPLETION_CASE_FOLD);
+#if defined(HAVE_RL_SPECIAL_PREFIXES)
+    id_special_prefixes = rb_intern("special_prefixes");
+#endif
 
     mReadline = rb_define_module("Readline");
     rb_define_module_function(mReadline, "readline",
@@ -1589,6 +1632,10 @@ Init_readline()
 			       readline_s_get_filename_quote_characters, 0);
     rb_define_singleton_method(mReadline, "refresh_line",
 			       readline_s_refresh_line, 0);
+    rb_define_singleton_method(mReadline, "special_prefixes=",
+			       readline_s_set_special_prefixes, 1);
+    rb_define_singleton_method(mReadline, "special_prefixes",
+			       readline_s_get_special_prefixes, 0);
 
 #if USE_INSERT_IGNORE_ESCAPE
     CONST_ID(id_orig_prompt, "orig_prompt");
diff --git a/test/readline/test_readline.rb b/test/readline/test_readline.rb
index dcb83e9..df4cc7b 100644
--- a/test/readline/test_readline.rb
+++ b/test/readline/test_readline.rb
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ class TestReadline < Test::Unit::TestCase
        ["point"],
        ["set_screen_size", 1, 1],
        ["get_screen_size"],
+       ["special_prefixes=", "$"],
+       ["special_prefixes"],
       ]
     method_args.each do |method_name, *args|
       assert_raise(SecurityError, NotImplementedError,
@@ -286,6 +288,7 @@ class TestReadline < Test::Unit::TestCase
   # basic_quote_characters
   # completer_quote_characters
   # filename_quote_characters
+  # special_prefixes
   def test_some_characters_methods
     method_names = [
                     "basic_word_break_characters",
@@ -293,6 +296,7 @@ class TestReadline < Test::Unit::TestCase
                     "basic_quote_characters",
                     "completer_quote_characters",
                     "filename_quote_characters",
+                    "special_prefixes",
                    ]
     method_names.each do |method_name|
       begin