diff --git a/lib/http_tools.sh b/lib/http_tools.sh
index e935a10..fe946d5 100755
--- a/lib/http_tools.sh
+++ b/lib/http_tools.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 # response body. If the server responds with 304, return the cached 
 # resource instead.
 #
-# Usage: conditional_get [-v] [-F | -C] -d CACHE_DIR -T TMP_DIR [-L LOG_FILE] HTTP_LOCATION
+# Usage: conditional_get [-v] [-F | -C] [-I] -d CACHE_DIR -T TMP_DIR HTTP_LOCATION
 #
 # This function requires two option arguments (CACHE_DIR and TMP_DIR)
 # and a command-line argument (HTTP_LOCATION). The rest of the command
@@ -35,19 +35,30 @@
 #   -v   verbose mode
 #   -F   force the return of a fresh resource
 #   -C   check the cache only
+#   -I   return headers only
 #   -d   the cache directory (REQUIRED)
 #   -T   a temporary directory (REQUIRED)
 #
-# Use option -F or -C to alter the default behavior of the function.
+# Use option -F, -C, or -I to alter the default behavior of the function.
+# Options -F and -C are mutually exclusive of each another. Option -I
+# may be used with option -C (but not with option -F).
 #
 # Option -F forces the return of a fresh resource, that is, if the
 # server responds with 304, the function quietly returns with a nonzero 
 # return code.
 #
-# Option -C causes the function to go directly to cache. No GET request
+# Option -C causes the function to go directly to cache. No HTTP request
 # is issued. (This option is useful in offline mode.) If the resource
 # is not cached, the function quietly returns with a nonzero return code.
 #
+# Option -I issues a HEAD request instead of a GET request. In that case,
+# only the response headers are returned in the output. Nothing is written
+# when option -I is used.
+#
+# If options -I and -C are used together, the cached headers are returned 
+# instead. As with option -C alone, if the resource is not cached, the 
+# function quietly returns with a nonzero return code.
+#
 # The output of the curl command-line tool is stored in the following 
 # temporary files:
 #
@@ -76,9 +87,6 @@
 #    8: copy to cache failed
 #    9: unexpected HTTP response
 #
-# TODO:
-#   - follow redirects?
-#
 #######################################################################
 
 conditional_get () {
@@ -94,7 +102,7 @@ conditional_get () {
 		return 2
 	fi
 
-	local script_version="0.8"
+	local script_version="0.9"
 	local user_agent_string="HTTP Conditional GET client $script_version"
 	
 	local hash
@@ -117,6 +125,7 @@ conditional_get () {
 	local verbose_mode=false
 	local force_output_mode=false
 	local cache_only_mode=false
+	local headers_only_mode=false
 	local cache_dir
 	local tmp_dir
 	local location
@@ -124,7 +133,7 @@ conditional_get () {
 	local opt
 	local OPTARG
 	local OPTIND
-	while getopts ":vFCd:T:" opt; do
+	while getopts ":vFCId:T:" opt; do
 		case $opt in
 			v)
 				verbose_mode=true
@@ -137,6 +146,9 @@ conditional_get () {
 				cache_only_mode=true
 				force_output_mode=false
 				;;
+			I)
+				headers_only_mode=true
+				;;
 			d)
 				cache_dir="$OPTARG"
 				;;
@@ -154,6 +166,12 @@ conditional_get () {
 		esac
 	done
 	
+	#
+	if $force_output_mode && $headers_only_mode; then
+		echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: options -F and -C may not be used together" >&2
+		return 2
+	fi
+	
 	# a temporary directory is required
 	if [ -z "$tmp_dir" ]; then
 		echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: no temporary directory specified" >&2
@@ -217,9 +235,15 @@ conditional_get () {
 
 	# check if the resource is cached
 	if [ -f "$cached_header_file" ] && [ -f "$cached_content_file" ]; then
+	
 		if $cache_only_mode; then
-			print_log_message "$FUNCNAME reading cached content file: $cached_content_file"
-			/bin/cat "$cached_content_file"
+			if $headers_only_mode; then
+				print_log_message "$FUNCNAME reading cached header file: $cached_header_file"
+				/bin/cat "$cached_header_file"
+			else
+				print_log_message "$FUNCNAME reading cached content file: $cached_content_file"
+				/bin/cat "$cached_content_file"
+			fi
 			exit_code=$?
 			if [ $exit_code -ne 0 ]; then
 				print_log_message -E "$FUNCNAME unable to cat output ($exit_code)"
@@ -272,8 +296,16 @@ conditional_get () {
 		curl_opts="--silent --show-error"
 	fi
 	curl_opts="${curl_opts} --user-agent '${user_agent_string}'"
+	
+	# always capture the header in a file
+	# capture the output iff the script issues a GET request
 	curl_opts="${curl_opts} --dump-header '${tmp_header_file}'"
-	curl_opts="${curl_opts} --output '${tmp_content_file}'"
+	if $headers_only_mode; then
+		curl_opts="${curl_opts} --head"
+		curl_opts="${curl_opts} --output '/dev/null'"
+	else
+		curl_opts="${curl_opts} --output '${tmp_content_file}'"
+	fi
 	curl_opts="${curl_opts} --stderr '${tmp_stderr_file}'"
 
 	# If the resource is cached, add a conditional GET header.
@@ -338,6 +370,22 @@ conditional_get () {
 	fi
 	print_log_message "$FUNCNAME received response code: $response_code"
 
+	if $headers_only_mode; then
+		/bin/cat "$tmp_header_file"
+		exit_code=$?
+		if [ $exit_code -ne 0 ]; then
+			print_log_message -E "$FUNCNAME unable to cat output ($exit_code)"
+			return 3
+		fi
+		return 0
+	fi
+
+	#######################################################################
+	#
+	# Update the cache
+	#
+	#######################################################################
+
 	if [ "$response_code" = "200" ]; then
 
 		# sanity check
@@ -399,7 +447,7 @@ conditional_get () {
 
 	#######################################################################
 	#
-	# output the resource content
+	# Return the cached content
 	#
 	#######################################################################