diff --git a/backup/converter/moodle1/lib.php b/backup/converter/moodle1/lib.php
index dcee200c6e4..aef888e44c6 100644
--- a/backup/converter/moodle1/lib.php
+++ b/backup/converter/moodle1/lib.php
@@ -470,6 +470,22 @@ class moodle1_converter extends base_converter {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Restores a given stash or returns the given default if there is no such stash
+     *
+     * @param string $stashname name of the stash
+     * @param int $itemid optional id for multiple infos within the same stashname
+     * @param mixed $default information to return if the info has not been stashed previously
+     * @return mixed stashed data or the default value
+     */
+    public function get_stash_or_default($stashname, $itemid = 0, $default = null) {
+        try {
+            return $this->get_stash($stashname, $itemid);
+        } catch (moodle1_convert_empty_storage_exception $e) {
+            return $default;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the list of existing stashes
      *
diff --git a/backup/converter/moodle1/simpletest/testlib.php b/backup/converter/moodle1/simpletest/testlib.php
index 44634e9f018..addc174d124 100644
--- a/backup/converter/moodle1/simpletest/testlib.php
+++ b/backup/converter/moodle1/simpletest/testlib.php
@@ -160,6 +160,38 @@ class moodle1_converter_test extends UnitTestCase {
         $converter->drop_stash_storage();
     }
 
+   public function test_get_stash_or_default() {
+        $converter = convert_factory::get_converter('moodle1', $this->tempdir);
+        $converter->create_stash_storage();
+
+        $this->assertTrue(is_null($converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname')));
+        $this->assertTrue(is_null($converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname', 7)));
+        $this->assertTrue('default' === $converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname', 0, 'default'));
+        $this->assertTrue(array('foo', 'bar') === $converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname', 42, array('foo', 'bar')));
+
+        //$converter->set_stash('stashname', 0);
+        //$this->assertFalse(is_null($converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname'))); // todo returns true now, this needs MDL-27713 to be fixed
+
+        //$converter->set_stash('stashname', '');
+        //$this->assertFalse(is_null($converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname'))); // todo returns true now, this needs MDL-27713 to be fixed
+
+        //$converter->set_stash('stashname', array());
+        //$this->assertFalse(is_null($converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname'))); // todo returns true now, this needs MDL-27713 to be fixed
+
+        $converter->set_stash('stashname', 42);
+        $this->assertTrue(42 === $converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname'));
+        $this->assertTrue(is_null($converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname', 1)));
+        $this->assertTrue(42 === $converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname', 0, 61));
+
+        $converter->set_stash('stashname', array(42 => (object)array('id' => 42)), 18);
+        $stashed = $converter->get_stash_or_default('stashname', 18, 1984);
+        $this->assertIsA($stashed, 'array');
+        $this->assertTrue(is_object($stashed[42]));
+        $this->assertTrue($stashed[42]->id === 42);
+
+        $converter->drop_stash_storage();
+    }
+
     public function test_get_contextid() {
         $converter = convert_factory::get_converter('moodle1', $this->tempdir);