diff --git a/xdg-app-dir.c b/xdg-app-dir.c
index 8446a7f0..349831b6 100644
--- a/xdg-app-dir.c
+++ b/xdg-app-dir.c
@@ -294,6 +294,30 @@ xdg_app_dir_get_repo (XdgAppDir *self)
   return self->repo;
 }
 
+char *
+xdg_app_dir_get_origin (XdgAppDir      *self,
+                        const char     *ref,
+                        GCancellable   *cancellable,
+                        GError        **error)
+{
+  g_autoptr(GFile) deploy_base = NULL;
+  g_autoptr(GFile) origin = NULL;
+  char *repository = NULL;
+
+  deploy_base = xdg_app_dir_get_deploy_dir (self, ref);
+  if (!g_file_query_exists (deploy_base, cancellable))
+    {
+      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED, "%s is not installed", ref);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  origin = g_file_get_child (deploy_base, "origin");
+  if (!g_file_load_contents (origin, cancellable, &repository, NULL, NULL, error))
+    return NULL;
+
+  return repository;
+}
+
 gboolean
 xdg_app_dir_ensure_path (XdgAppDir     *self,
                          GCancellable  *cancellable,
diff --git a/xdg-app-dir.h b/xdg-app-dir.h
index de1dbf9c..1d4b67f1 100644
--- a/xdg-app-dir.h
+++ b/xdg-app-dir.h
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ gboolean    xdg_app_dir_is_user         (XdgAppDir      *self);
 GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_path        (XdgAppDir      *self);
 GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_deploy_dir  (XdgAppDir      *self,
                                          const char     *ref);
+char *      xdg_app_dir_get_origin      (XdgAppDir      *self,
+                                         const char     *ref,
+                                         GCancellable   *cancellable,
+                                         GError        **error);
 GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_exports_dir (XdgAppDir      *self);
 GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_removed_dir (XdgAppDir      *self);
 GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_if_deployed (XdgAppDir      *self,