diff --git a/src/ckpool.c b/src/ckpool.c
index 161ae8e1..abb54e89 100644
--- a/src/ckpool.c
+++ b/src/ckpool.c
@@ -248,6 +248,30 @@ static void *unix_receiver(void *arg)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+/* Get the next message in the receive queue, or wait up to 5 seconds for
+ * the next message, returning NULL if no message is received in that time. */
+unix_msg_t *get_unix_msg(proc_instance_t *pi)
+{
+	unix_msg_t *umsg;
+
+	mutex_lock(&pi->rmsg_lock);
+	if (!pi->unix_msgs) {
+		tv_t now;
+		ts_t abs;
+
+		tv_time(&now);
+		tv_to_ts(&abs, &now);
+		abs.tv_sec += 5;
+		cond_timedwait(&pi->rmsg_cond, &pi->rmsg_lock, &abs);
+	}
+	umsg = pi->unix_msgs;
+	if (umsg)
+		DL_DELETE(pi->unix_msgs, umsg);
+	mutex_unlock(&pi->rmsg_lock);
+
+	return umsg;
+}
+
 void create_unix_receiver(proc_instance_t *pi)
 {
 	pthread_t pth;
diff --git a/src/ckpool.h b/src/ckpool.h
index 08eed951..09744d88 100644
--- a/src/ckpool.h
+++ b/src/ckpool.h
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ ckmsgq_t *create_ckmsgq(ckpool_t *ckp, const char *name, const void *func);
 ckmsgq_t *create_ckmsgqs(ckpool_t *ckp, const char *name, const void *func, const int count);
 void ckmsgq_add(ckmsgq_t *ckmsgq, void *data);
 bool ckmsgq_empty(ckmsgq_t *ckmsgq);
+unix_msg_t *get_unix_msg(proc_instance_t *pi);
 void create_unix_receiver(proc_instance_t *pi);
 
 ckpool_t *global_ckp;