diff --git a/client/dbclient.cpp b/client/dbclient.cpp
index a2d0bd85c58..1c4f919002c 100644
--- a/client/dbclient.cpp
+++ b/client/dbclient.cpp
@@ -272,6 +272,23 @@ void DBClientBase::remove( const char * ns , BSONObj obj , bool justOne ){
     say( toSend );
 }
 
+void DBClientBase::update( const char * ns , BSONObj query , BSONObj obj , bool upsert ){
+    
+    BufBuilder b;
+    b.append( (int)0 ); // reserverd
+    b.append( ns );
+    
+    b.append( (int)upsert );
+    
+    query.appendSelfToBufBuilder( b );
+    obj.appendSelfToBufBuilder( b );
+
+    Message toSend;
+    toSend.setData( dbUpdate , b.buf() , b.len() );
+
+    say( toSend );    
+}
+
 /* -- DBClientCursor ---------------------------------------------- */
 
 void assembleRequest( const string &ns, BSONObj query, int nToReturn, int nToSkip, BSONObj *fieldsToReturn, int queryOptions, Message &toSend ) {
diff --git a/client/dbclient.h b/client/dbclient.h
index 69e9d2d29ba..49c60a03823 100644
--- a/client/dbclient.h
+++ b/client/dbclient.h
@@ -324,6 +324,8 @@ public:
     virtual void insert( const char * ns , BSONObj obj );
 
     virtual void remove( const char * ns , BSONObj obj , bool justOne = 0 );
+
+    virtual void update( const char * ns , BSONObj query , BSONObj obj , bool upsert = 0 );
 };
 
 class DBClientPaired;
diff --git a/client/examples/clientTest.cpp b/client/examples/clientTest.cpp
index 322b62c3812..9cda1c9640f 100644
--- a/client/examples/clientTest.cpp
+++ b/client/examples/clientTest.cpp
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ int main(){
     
     
     // insert, findOne testing
-    conn.insert( ns ,BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot" ).append( "num" , 1 ).doneAndDecouple() );    
+    conn.insert( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot" ).append( "num" , 1 ).doneAndDecouple() );    
     {
         BSONObj res = conn.findOne( ns , BSONObjBuilder().doneAndDecouple() );
         assert( strstr( res.getStringField( "name" ) , "eliot" ) );
         assert( ! strstr( res.getStringField( "name2" ) , "eliot" ) );
         assert( 1 == res.getIntField( "num" ) );
     }
-
+    
     
     // cursor
     conn.insert( ns ,BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "sara" ).append( "num" , 2 ).doneAndDecouple() );    
@@ -76,5 +76,29 @@ int main(){
         assert( count == 0 );
     }
 
+    // update
+    {
+        BSONObj res = conn.findOne( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot" ).doneAndDecouple() );
+        assert( ! strstr( res.getStringField( "name2" ) , "eliot" ) );
+        
+        BSONObj after = BSONObjBuilder().appendElements( res ).append( "name2" , "h" ).doneAndDecouple();
+        
+        conn.update( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot2" ).doneAndDecouple() , after );
+        res = conn.findOne( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot" ).doneAndDecouple() );
+        assert( ! strstr( res.getStringField( "name2" ) , "eliot" ) );
+        assert( conn.findOne( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot2" ).doneAndDecouple() ).isEmpty() );
+        
+        conn.update( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot" ).doneAndDecouple() , after );
+        res = conn.findOne( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot" ).doneAndDecouple() );
+        assert( strstr( res.getStringField( "name" ) , "eliot" ) );
+        assert( strstr( res.getStringField( "name2" ) , "h" ) );
+        assert( conn.findOne( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot2" ).doneAndDecouple() ).isEmpty() );        
+
+        // upsert
+        conn.update( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot2" ).doneAndDecouple() , after , 1 );
+        assert( ! conn.findOne( ns , BSONObjBuilder().append( "name" , "eliot" ).doneAndDecouple() ).isEmpty() ); 
+        
+    }
+
     cout << "client test finished!" << endl;
 }