diff --git a/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.m b/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.m
index 0e136cb..3b9c751 100644
--- a/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.m
+++ b/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.m
@@ -538,9 +538,9 @@ static void AFNetworkReachabilityReleaseCallback(const void *info) {
     if (!operation) {
         operation = [[[AFHTTPRequestOperation alloc] initWithRequest:urlRequest] autorelease];
     }
-    
+
     [operation setCompletionBlockWithSuccess:success failure:failure];
-       
+
     return operation;
 }
 
diff --git a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.h b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.h
index ea69fe8..f04f474 100644
--- a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.h
+++ b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.h
@@ -161,6 +161,19 @@ extern NSString * const AFNetworkingOperationDidFinishNotification;
 
 - (void)resume;
 
+///----------------------------------------------
+/// @name Configuring Backgrounding Task Behavior
+///----------------------------------------------
+
+/**
+ Specifies that the operation should continue execution after the app has entered the background, and the expiration handler for that background task.
+ 
+ @param handler A handler to be called shortly before the application’s remaining background time reaches 0. The handler is wrapped in a block that cancels the operation, and cleans up and marks the end of execution, unlike the `handler` parameter in `UIApplication -beginBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler:`, which expects this to be done in the handler itself. The handler is called synchronously on the main thread, thus blocking the application’s suspension momentarily while the application is notified. 
+ */
+#if __IPHONE_OS_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED
+- (void)setShouldExecuteAsBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler:(void (^)(void))handler;
+#endif
+
 ///---------------------------------
 /// @name Setting Progress Callbacks
 ///---------------------------------
diff --git a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
index 2f1f5b3..5d55ab6 100644
--- a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
+++ b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
@@ -31,6 +31,15 @@ typedef enum {
 
 typedef signed short AFOperationState;
 
+#if __IPHONE_OS_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED
+typedef UIBackgroundTaskIdentifier AFBackgroundTaskIdentifier;
+#else
+typedef id AFBackgroundTaskIdentifier;
+#endif
+
+static NSUInteger const kAFHTTPMinimumInitialDataCapacity = 1024;
+static NSUInteger const kAFHTTPMaximumInitialDataCapacity = 1024 * 1024 * 8;
+
 static NSString * const kAFNetworkingLockName = @"com.alamofire.networking.operation.lock";
 
 NSString * const AFNetworkingErrorDomain = @"com.alamofire.networking.error";
@@ -98,6 +107,7 @@ static inline BOOL AFStateTransitionIsValid(AFOperationState fromState, AFOperat
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, retain) NSData *responseData;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, copy) NSString *responseString;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, assign) long long totalBytesRead;
+@property (readwrite, nonatomic, assign) AFBackgroundTaskIdentifier backgroundTaskIdentifier;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, copy) AFURLConnectionOperationProgressBlock uploadProgress;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, copy) AFURLConnectionOperationProgressBlock downloadProgress;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, copy) AFURLConnectionOperationAuthenticationAgainstProtectionSpaceBlock authenticationAgainstProtectionSpace;
@@ -121,6 +131,7 @@ static inline BOOL AFStateTransitionIsValid(AFOperationState fromState, AFOperat
 @synthesize totalBytesRead = _totalBytesRead;
 @dynamic inputStream;
 @synthesize outputStream = _outputStream;
+@synthesize backgroundTaskIdentifier = _backgroundTaskIdentifier;
 @synthesize uploadProgress = _uploadProgress;
 @synthesize downloadProgress = _downloadProgress;
 @synthesize authenticationAgainstProtectionSpace = _authenticationAgainstProtectionSpace;
@@ -185,6 +196,13 @@ static inline BOOL AFStateTransitionIsValid(AFOperationState fromState, AFOperat
         [_outputStream release];
         _outputStream = nil;
     }
+
+#if __IPHONE_OS_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED
+    if (_backgroundTaskIdentifier) {
+        [[UIApplication sharedApplication] endBackgroundTask:_backgroundTaskIdentifier];
+        _backgroundTaskIdentifier = UIBackgroundTaskInvalid;
+    }
+#endif
     	
     [_uploadProgress release];
     [_downloadProgress release];
@@ -240,6 +258,26 @@ static inline BOOL AFStateTransitionIsValid(AFOperationState fromState, AFOperat
     }
 }
 
+#if __IPHONE_OS_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED
+- (void)setShouldExecuteAsBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler:(void (^)(void))handler {
+    [self.lock lock];
+    if (!self.backgroundTaskIdentifier) {    
+        UIApplication *application = [UIApplication sharedApplication];
+        self.backgroundTaskIdentifier = [application beginBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler:^{
+            if (handler) {
+                handler();
+            }
+            
+            [self cancel];
+            
+            [application endBackgroundTask:self.backgroundTaskIdentifier];
+            self.backgroundTaskIdentifier = UIBackgroundTaskInvalid;
+        }];
+    }
+    [self.lock unlock];
+}
+#endif
+
 - (void)setUploadProgressBlock:(void (^)(NSInteger bytesWritten, long long totalBytesWritten, long long totalBytesExpectedToWrite))block {
     self.uploadProgress = block;
 }