diff --git a/src/crypto.c b/src/crypto.c
index bb6e72ec..7981aeb4 100644
--- a/src/crypto.c
+++ b/src/crypto.c
@@ -94,8 +94,12 @@ int codec_pragma(sqlite3* db, int iDb, Parse *pParse, const char *zLeft, const c
   if( sqlite3StrICmp(zLeft, "cipher_version")==0 && !zRight ){
     codec_vdbe_return_static_string(pParse, "cipher_version", codec_get_cipher_version());
   }else
-  if( sqlite3StrICmp(zLeft, "cipher")==0 && zRight ){
-    if(ctx) sqlcipher_codec_ctx_set_cipher(ctx, zRight, 2); // change cipher for both
+  if( sqlite3StrICmp(zLeft, "cipher")==0 ){
+    if( zRight ) {
+      if(ctx) sqlcipher_codec_ctx_set_cipher(ctx, zRight, 2); // change cipher for both
+    }else {
+      if(ctx) sqlcipher_codec_ctx_get_cipher(pParse, ctx, 2);
+    }
   }else
   if( sqlite3StrICmp(zLeft, "rekey_cipher")==0 && zRight ){
     if(ctx) sqlcipher_codec_ctx_set_cipher(ctx, zRight, 1); // change write cipher only 
diff --git a/src/crypto_impl.c b/src/crypto_impl.c
index e5456fa9..69482fc7 100644
--- a/src/crypto_impl.c
+++ b/src/crypto_impl.c
@@ -344,6 +344,15 @@ int sqlcipher_codec_ctx_set_cipher(codec_ctx *ctx, const char *cipher_name, int
   return SQLITE_OK;
 }
 
+int sqlcipher_codec_ctx_get_cipher(Parse *pParse, codec_ctx *ctx, int for_ctx) {
+  cipher_ctx *c_ctx = for_ctx ? ctx->write_ctx : ctx->read_ctx;
+  EVP_CIPHER *evp_cipher = c_ctx->evp_cipher;
+  char* name = EVP_CIPHER_name(evp_cipher);
+  codec_vdbe_return_static_string(pParse, "cipher", name);
+
+  return SQLITE_OK;
+}
+
 int sqlcipher_codec_ctx_set_kdf_iter(codec_ctx *ctx, int kdf_iter, int for_ctx) {
   cipher_ctx *c_ctx = for_ctx ? ctx->write_ctx : ctx->read_ctx;
   int rc;