diff --git a/db/queryoptimizer.h b/db/queryoptimizer.h
index b22049dee2e..e6318289f9c 100644
--- a/db/queryoptimizer.h
+++ b/db/queryoptimizer.h
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ namespace mongo {
         BSONObj indexKey() const;
         const char *ns() const { return fbs_.ns(); }
         BSONObj query() const { return fbs_.query(); }
+        const FieldBound &bound( const char *fieldName ) const { return fbs_.bound( fieldName ); }
     private:
         const FieldBoundSet &fbs_;
         const BSONObj &order_;
diff --git a/dbtests/queryoptimizertests.cpp b/dbtests/queryoptimizertests.cpp
index e23359ca68c..50d11012626 100644
--- a/dbtests/queryoptimizertests.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/queryoptimizertests.cpp
@@ -400,6 +400,29 @@ namespace QueryOptimizerTests {
             }
         };
         
+        class Unhelpful : public Base {
+        public:
+            void run() {
+                QueryPlan p( FBS( BSON( "b" << 1 ) ), emptyObj, INDEX( "a" << 1 << "b" << 1 ) );
+                ASSERT( p.keyMatch() );
+                ASSERT( !p.bound( "a" ).nontrivial() );
+                ASSERT( !p.unhelpful() );
+                QueryPlan p2( FBS( BSON( "b" << 1 << "c" << 1 ) ), BSON( "a" << 1 ), INDEX( "a" << 1 << "b" << 1 ) );
+                ASSERT( !p2.keyMatch() );
+                ASSERT( !p2.scanAndOrderRequired() );
+                ASSERT( !p2.bound( "a" ).nontrivial() );
+                ASSERT( !p2.unhelpful() );
+                QueryPlan p3( FBS( BSON( "b" << 1 << "c" << 1 ) ), emptyObj, INDEX( "b" << 1 ) );
+                ASSERT( !p3.keyMatch() );
+                ASSERT( p3.bound( "b" ).nontrivial() );
+                ASSERT( !p3.unhelpful() );
+                QueryPlan p4( FBS( BSON( "c" << 1 << "d" << 1 ) ), emptyObj, INDEX( "b" << 1 << "c" << 1 ) );
+                ASSERT( !p4.keyMatch() );
+                ASSERT( !p4.bound( "b" ).nontrivial() );
+                ASSERT( p4.unhelpful() );
+            }
+        };
+        
     } // namespace QueryPlanTests
 
     namespace QueryPlanSetTests {
@@ -671,6 +694,7 @@ namespace QueryOptimizerTests {
             add< QueryPlanTests::MoreOptimal >();
             add< QueryPlanTests::KeyMatch >();
             add< QueryPlanTests::ExactKeyQueryTypes >();
+            add< QueryPlanTests::Unhelpful >();
             add< QueryPlanSetTests::NoIndexes >();
             add< QueryPlanSetTests::Optimal >();
             add< QueryPlanSetTests::NoOptimal >();