diff --git a/src-cpp/rdkafkacpp.h b/src-cpp/rdkafkacpp.h
index 16acc1238f..8e61ece983 100644
--- a/src-cpp/rdkafkacpp.h
+++ b/src-cpp/rdkafkacpp.h
@@ -1474,16 +1474,25 @@ class RD_EXPORT Headers {
     Header(const std::string& key,
            const char* value,
            RdKafka::ErrorCode err = ERR_NO_ERROR):
-    key(key), err(err) {
-        // Safe managed copy of the value preserving the bytes
-        value_container_ = value;
-        this->value = value_container_.c_str();
+    key_(key), err_(err) {
+        value_container_.assign(value);
     };
-
-    std::string key;
-    const char* value;
-    RdKafka::ErrorCode err;
+    
+    std::string key() const {
+        return key_;
+    }
+
+    const char* value() const {
+        return value_container_.c_str();
+    }
+
+    RdKafka::ErrorCode err() const {
+        return err_;
+    }
+    
    private:
+    std::string key_;
+    RdKafka::ErrorCode err_;
     std::string value_container_;
     void *operator new(size_t); /* Prevent dynamic allocation */
   };
@@ -1533,6 +1542,7 @@ class RD_EXPORT Headers {
    */
   virtual std::vector<Header> get_all() const = 0;
 
+
   /** 
    * @brief the count of all the Headers
    *
diff --git a/src-cpp/rdkafkacpp_int.h b/src-cpp/rdkafkacpp_int.h
index 8c4f9d4846..776c3babb5 100644
--- a/src-cpp/rdkafkacpp_int.h
+++ b/src-cpp/rdkafkacpp_int.h
@@ -235,6 +235,122 @@ class HeadersImpl : public Headers {
   bool free_headers_;
 };
 
+class HeadersImpl : public Headers {
+ public:
+  HeadersImpl (size_t initial_size, bool free_rd_headers):
+  headers_ (rd_kafka_headers_new(initial_size)), free_headers_ (free_rd_headers) {}
+
+  HeadersImpl (rd_kafka_headers_t *headers):
+  headers_ (headers), free_headers_ (false) {};
+
+  HeadersImpl (const std::vector<Header> &headers, bool free_rd_headers):
+  free_headers_ (free_rd_headers) {
+    if (headers.size() > 0) {
+      headers_ = rd_kafka_headers_new(headers.size());
+      from_vector(headers);
+    } else {
+      headers_ = rd_kafka_headers_new(8);
+    }
+  }
+
+  ~HeadersImpl() {
+    if(free_headers_ && headers_) {
+      rd_kafka_headers_destroy(headers_);
+    }
+  }
+
+  ErrorCode add(const std::string& key, const char* value) {
+    rd_kafka_resp_err_t err;
+    err = rd_kafka_header_add(headers_,
+                              key.c_str(), key.size(),
+                              value, strlen(value));
+    return static_cast<RdKafka::ErrorCode>(err);
+  }
+
+  ErrorCode remove(const std::string& key) {
+    rd_kafka_resp_err_t err;
+    err = rd_kafka_header_remove (headers_, key.c_str());
+    return static_cast<RdKafka::ErrorCode>(err);
+  }
+
+  std::vector<Headers::Header> get(const std::string &key) const {
+    std::vector<Headers::Header> headers;
+    const void *value;
+    size_t size;
+    rd_kafka_resp_err_t err;
+    for (size_t idx = 0;
+         !(err = rd_kafka_header_get(headers_, idx, key.c_str(), &value, &size)) ;\
+         idx++) {
+      if (value) {
+        const char* casted_value = static_cast<const char*>(value);
+        headers.push_back(Headers::Header(key, casted_value));
+      }
+    }
+    return headers;
+  }
+
+  Headers::Header get_last(const std::string& key) const {
+    const void *value;
+    size_t size;
+    rd_kafka_resp_err_t err;
+    err = rd_kafka_header_get_last (headers_, key.c_str(), &value, &size);
+    const char* casted_value = static_cast<const char*>(value);
+    ErrorCode cpp_error = static_cast<RdKafka::ErrorCode>(err);
+    return Headers::Header(key, casted_value, cpp_error);
+  }
+
+  std::vector<Headers::Header> get_all() const {
+    std::vector<Headers::Header> headers;
+    size_t idx = 0;
+    const char *name;
+    const void *valuep;
+    size_t size;
+    while (!rd_kafka_header_get_all(headers_, idx++,
+                                    &name, &valuep, &size)) {
+      if (valuep != NULL) {
+        const char* casted_value = static_cast<const char*>(valuep);
+        headers.push_back(Headers::Header(name, casted_value));
+      }
+    }
+    return headers;
+  }
+
+  size_t size() const {
+    return rd_kafka_header_cnt(headers_);
+  }
+
+  struct rd_kafka_headers_s* c_headers() {
+    return headers_;
+  }
+
+  ErrorCode destroy_headers() {
+    if (headers_) {
+      rd_kafka_headers_destroy(headers_);
+      headers_ = 0;
+      return RdKafka::ERR_NO_ERROR;
+    } else {
+      return RdKafka::ERR_OPERATION_NOT_ATTEMPTED;
+    }
+  }
+    
+ private:
+  void from_vector(const std::vector<Header> &headers) {
+    if (headers.size() > 0) {
+      for (std::vector<Header>::const_iterator it = headers.begin();
+           it != headers.end();
+           it++) {
+        this->add(it->key(), it->value());
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  HeadersImpl(HeadersImpl const&) /*= delete*/;
+  HeadersImpl& operator=(HeadersImpl const&) /*= delete*/;
+
+  rd_kafka_headers_t* headers_;
+  bool free_headers_;
+};
+
 
 class MessageImpl : public Message {
  public:
diff --git a/tests/test.c b/tests/test.c
index 8e83bce5c9..2baf032831 100644
--- a/tests/test.c
+++ b/tests/test.c
@@ -185,7 +185,6 @@ _TEST_DECL(0089_max_poll_interval);
 _TEST_DECL(0090_idempotence);
 _TEST_DECL(0091_max_poll_interval_timeout);
 
-
 /* Manual tests */
 _TEST_DECL(8000_idle);