diff --git a/unix.c b/unix.c
index c07e9a6..53248b3 100644
--- a/unix.c
+++ b/unix.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <assert.h>
@@ -310,6 +311,22 @@ pl_environ(term_t l)
   return PL_unify_nil(t);
 }
 
+static foreign_t
+pl_mkfifo(term_t Path, term_t Mode)
+{ char *pathname;
+  mode_t mode;
+
+  if ( !PL_get_file_name(Path, &pathname, CVT_ALL|BUF_MALLOC|REP_MB) )
+    return FALSE;
+  if ( !PL_get_integer(Mode, (int *)&mode) )
+    return pl_error("mkfifo", 2, NULL, ERR_ARGTYPE, 1, Mode, "mode");
+  if ( !mkfifo(pathname, mode) < 0 )
+    return pl_error("mkfifo", 2, NULL, ERR_ERRNO, errno, "create", "fifo", Path);
+
+  PL_free(pathname);
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
 
 		 /*******************************
 		 *	    DEAMON IO		*
@@ -527,6 +544,7 @@ install_unix()
   PL_register_foreign("dup",       2, pl_dup, 0);
   PL_register_foreign("detach_IO", 1, pl_detach_IO, 0);
   PL_register_foreign("environ",   1, pl_environ, 0);
+  PL_register_foreign("mkfifo",    2, pl_mkfifo, 0);
 #ifdef HAVE_PRCTL
   PL_register_foreign("prctl",     1, pl_prctl, 0);
 #endif
diff --git a/unix.pl b/unix.pl
index 55f6acb..f7d744f 100644
--- a/unix.pl
+++ b/unix.pl
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@
             dup/2,                      % +From, +To
             detach_IO/0,
             detach_IO/1,                % +Stream
-            environ/1                   % -[Name=Value]
+            environ/1,                  % -[Name=Value]
+            mkfifo/2                    % +Path, +Mode
           ]).
 
 /** <module> Unix specific operations
@@ -306,6 +307,26 @@
 
 :- endif.
 
+%!  mkfifo(+Path, +Mode) is det.
+%
+%   Interface to Unix mkfifo(), which makes a FIFO special file with
+%   name Path and file permissions specified by Mode.
+%
+%   Once created, the FIFO can be used with open/3 and close/2 just
+%   like any normal file; however, writes will block unless the file
+%   is also open for reads, and vice versa.
+%
+%   Path is a file name and Mode mirrors the same used by chmod/2,
+%   e.g. the following creates a FIFO readable and writable by the
+%   user.
+%
+%   ```
+%     ?- mkfifo(myfifo, +urw)
+%   ```
+%
+%   Note that, in addition to Mode, actual the actual permissions
+%   granted to Path are determined by the running process' umask.
+
                  /*******************************
                  *           MESSAGES           *
                  *******************************/