diff --git a/apps/x509.c b/apps/x509.c
index 4869b14025d467c38eca805b8faba4eaa95d1cad..6e652177d88f557f3aa6a782b7c84a726157a60f 100644
--- a/apps/x509.c
+++ b/apps/x509.c
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ int MAIN(int argc, char **argv)
 	char *CAkeyfile=NULL,*CAserial=NULL;
 	char *alias=NULL;
 	int text=0,serial=0,subject=0,issuer=0,startdate=0,enddate=0;
+	int next_serial=0;
 	int subject_hash=0,issuer_hash=0,ocspid=0;
 	int noout=0,sign_flag=0,CA_flag=0,CA_createserial=0,email=0;
 	int trustout=0,clrtrust=0,clrreject=0,aliasout=0,clrext=0;
@@ -375,6 +376,8 @@ int MAIN(int argc, char **argv)
 			email= ++num;
 		else if (strcmp(*argv,"-serial") == 0)
 			serial= ++num;
+		else if (strcmp(*argv,"-next_serial") == 0)
+			next_serial= ++num;
 		else if (strcmp(*argv,"-modulus") == 0)
 			modulus= ++num;
 		else if (strcmp(*argv,"-pubkey") == 0)
@@ -624,7 +627,7 @@ bad:
 		if (xca == NULL) goto end;
 		}
 
-	if (!noout || text)
+	if (!noout || text || next_serial)
 		{
 		OBJ_create("2.99999.3",
 			"SET.ex3","SET x509v3 extension 3");
@@ -699,6 +702,24 @@ bad:
 					X509_get_serialNumber(x));
 				BIO_printf(STDout,"\n");
 				}
+			else if (next_serial == i)
+				{
+				BIGNUM *bnser;
+				ASN1_INTEGER *ser;
+				ser = X509_get_serialNumber(x);
+				bnser = ASN1_INTEGER_to_BN(ser, NULL);
+				if (!bnser)
+					goto end;
+				if (!BN_add_word(bnser, 1))
+					goto end;
+				ser = BN_to_ASN1_INTEGER(bnser, NULL);
+				if (!ser)
+					goto end;
+				BN_free(bnser);
+				i2a_ASN1_INTEGER(out, ser);
+				ASN1_INTEGER_free(ser);
+				BIO_puts(out, "\n");
+				}
 			else if (email == i) 
 				{
 				int j;