diff --git a/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb b/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
index e5c129d..503d452 100644
--- a/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
+++ b/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ module RemoteStorage
       request_method = server.env["REQUEST_METHOD"]
 
       if directory.split("/").first == "public"
-        return true if request_method == "GET" && !listing
+        return true if ["GET", "HEAD"].include?(request_method) && !listing
       end
 
       authorizations = auth_bucket.get("#{user}:#{token}").data
@@ -37,13 +37,18 @@ module RemoteStorage
       server.halt 401
     end
 
+    def get_head(user, directory, key)
+      object = data_bucket.get("#{user}:#{directory}:#{key}")
+      set_object_response_headers(object)
+      server.halt 200
+    rescue ::Riak::HTTPFailedRequest
+      server.halt 404
+    end
+
     def get_data(user, directory, key)
       object = data_bucket.get("#{user}:#{directory}:#{key}")
 
-      server.headers["Content-Type"] = object.content_type
-      server.headers["Last-Modified"] = last_modified_date_for(object)
-      server.headers["ETag"] = object.etag
-      server.headers["Content-Length"] = object_size(object)
+      set_object_response_headers(object)
 
       server.halt 304 if server.env["HTTP_IF_NONE_MATCH"] == object.etag
 
@@ -152,6 +157,13 @@ module RemoteStorage
 
     private
 
+    def set_object_response_headers(object)
+      server.headers["Content-Type"] = object.content_type
+      server.headers["Last-Modified"] = last_modified_date_for(object)
+      server.headers["ETag"] = object.etag
+      server.headers["Content-Length"] = object_size(object)
+    end
+
     def extract_category(directory)
       if directory.match(/^public\//)
         "public/#{directory.split('/')[1]}"
diff --git a/liquor-cabinet.rb b/liquor-cabinet.rb
index 1175ddd..fbddcdb 100644
--- a/liquor-cabinet.rb
+++ b/liquor-cabinet.rb
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ class LiquorCabinet < Sinatra::Base
       storage.get_data(@user, @directory, @key)
     end
 
+    head path do
+      storage.get_head(@user, @directory, @key)
+    end
+
     put path do
       data = request.body.read
 
diff --git a/spec/riak_spec.rb b/spec/riak_spec.rb
index 406ffc1..b9db15c 100644
--- a/spec/riak_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/riak_spec.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,42 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
     purge_all_buckets
   end
 
+  describe "HEAD public data" do
+    before do
+      object = data_bucket.new("jimmy:public:foo")
+      object.content_type = "text/plain"
+      object.data = "some text data"
+      object.store
+
+      head "/jimmy/public/foo"
+    end
+
+    it "returns an empty body" do
+      last_response.status.must_equal 200
+      last_response.body.must_equal ""
+    end
+
+    it "has a Last-Modified header set" do
+      last_response.status.must_equal 200
+      last_response.headers["Last-Modified"].wont_be_nil
+
+      now = Time.now
+      last_modified = DateTime.parse(last_response.headers["Last-Modified"])
+      last_modified.year.must_equal now.year
+      last_modified.day.must_equal now.day
+    end
+
+    it "has an ETag header set" do
+      last_response.status.must_equal 200
+      last_response.headers["ETag"].wont_be_nil
+    end
+
+    it "has a Content-Length header set" do
+      last_response.status.must_equal 200
+      last_response.headers["Content-Length"].must_equal 14
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "GET public data" do
     before do
       object = data_bucket.new("jimmy:public:foo")
@@ -80,6 +116,37 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
       auth.store
     end
 
+    describe "HEAD" do
+      before do
+        header "Authorization", "Bearer 123"
+        head "/jimmy/documents/foo"
+      end
+
+      it "returns an empty body" do
+        last_response.status.must_equal 200
+        last_response.body.must_equal ""
+      end
+
+      it "has an ETag header set" do
+        last_response.status.must_equal 200
+        last_response.headers["ETag"].wont_be_nil
+      end
+
+      it "has a Content-Length header set" do
+        last_response.status.must_equal 200
+        last_response.headers["Content-Length"].must_equal 22
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe "HEAD nonexisting key" do
+      it "returns a 404" do
+        header "Authorization", "Bearer 123"
+        head "/jimmy/documents/somestupidkey"
+
+        last_response.status.must_equal 404
+      end
+    end
+
     describe "GET" do
       before do
         header "Authorization", "Bearer 123"