diff --git a/lib/sharedFunctions.sh b/lib/sharedFunctions.sh
index 8f39467..1d70eaa 100755
--- a/lib/sharedFunctions.sh
+++ b/lib/sharedFunctions.sh
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@
 # ##################################################
 # Shared bash functions used by my bash scripts.
 #
-# VERSION 1.3.0
+# VERSION 1.4.0
 #
 # HISTORY
 #
 # * 2015-01-02 - v1.0.0   - First Creation
 # * 2015-04-16 - v1.2.0   - Added 'checkDependencies' and 'pauseScript'
 # * 2016-01-10 - v1.3.0   - Added 'join' function
+# * 2016-01-11 - v1.4.9   - Added 'httpStatus' function
 #
 # ##################################################
 
@@ -562,4 +563,112 @@ urldecode() {
 
     local url_encoded="${1//+/ }"
     printf '%b' "${url_encoded//%/\x}"
+}
+
+httpStatus() {
+  # -----------------------------------
+  # Shamelessly taken from: https://gist.github.com/rsvp/1171304
+  #
+  # Usage:  httpStatus URL [timeout] [--code or --status] [see 4.]
+  #                                             ^message with code (default)
+  #                                     ^code (numeric only)
+  #                           ^in secs (default: 3)
+  #                   ^URL without "http://" prefix works fine.
+  #
+  #  4. curl options: e.g. use -L to follow redirects.
+  #
+  #  Dependencies: curl
+  #
+  #         Example:  $ httpStatus bit.ly
+  #                   301 Redirection: Moved Permanently
+  #
+  #         Example: $ httpStatus www.google.com 100 -c
+  #                  200
+  #
+  # -----------------------------------
+  local curlops
+  local arg4
+  local arg5
+  local arg6
+  local arg7
+  local flag
+  local timeout
+  local url
+
+  saveIFS=${IFS}
+  IFS=$' \n\t'
+
+  url=${1}
+  timeout=${2:-'3'}
+  #            ^in seconds
+  flag=${3:-'--status'}
+  #    curl options, e.g. -L to follow redirects
+  arg4=${4:-''}
+  arg5=${5:-''}
+  arg6=${6:-''}
+  arg7=${7:-''}
+  curlops="${arg4} ${arg5} ${arg6} ${arg7}"
+
+  #      __________ get the CODE which is numeric:
+  code=`echo $(curl --write-out %{http_code} --silent --connect-timeout ${timeout} \
+                  --no-keepalive ${curlops} --output /dev/null  ${url})`
+
+  #      __________ get the STATUS (from code) which is human interpretable:
+  case $code in
+       000) status="Not responding within ${timeout} seconds" ;;
+       100) status="Informational: Continue" ;;
+       101) status="Informational: Switching Protocols" ;;
+       200) status="Successful: OK within ${timeout} seconds" ;;
+       201) status="Successful: Created" ;;
+       202) status="Successful: Accepted" ;;
+       203) status="Successful: Non-Authoritative Information" ;;
+       204) status="Successful: No Content" ;;
+       205) status="Successful: Reset Content" ;;
+       206) status="Successful: Partial Content" ;;
+       300) status="Redirection: Multiple Choices" ;;
+       301) status="Redirection: Moved Permanently" ;;
+       302) status="Redirection: Found residing temporarily under different URI" ;;
+       303) status="Redirection: See Other" ;;
+       304) status="Redirection: Not Modified" ;;
+       305) status="Redirection: Use Proxy" ;;
+       306) status="Redirection: status not defined" ;;
+       307) status="Redirection: Temporary Redirect" ;;
+       400) status="Client Error: Bad Request" ;;
+       401) status="Client Error: Unauthorized" ;;
+       402) status="Client Error: Payment Required" ;;
+       403) status="Client Error: Forbidden" ;;
+       404) status="Client Error: Not Found" ;;
+       405) status="Client Error: Method Not Allowed" ;;
+       406) status="Client Error: Not Acceptable" ;;
+       407) status="Client Error: Proxy Authentication Required" ;;
+       408) status="Client Error: Request Timeout within ${timeout} seconds" ;;
+       409) status="Client Error: Conflict" ;;
+       410) status="Client Error: Gone" ;;
+       411) status="Client Error: Length Required" ;;
+       412) status="Client Error: Precondition Failed" ;;
+       413) status="Client Error: Request Entity Too Large" ;;
+       414) status="Client Error: Request-URI Too Long" ;;
+       415) status="Client Error: Unsupported Media Type" ;;
+       416) status="Client Error: Requested Range Not Satisfiable" ;;
+       417) status="Client Error: Expectation Failed" ;;
+       500) status="Server Error: Internal Server Error" ;;
+       501) status="Server Error: Not Implemented" ;;
+       502) status="Server Error: Bad Gateway" ;;
+       503) status="Server Error: Service Unavailable" ;;
+       504) status="Server Error: Gateway Timeout within ${timeout} seconds" ;;
+       505) status="Server Error: HTTP Version Not Supported" ;;
+       *)   echo " !!  httpstatus: status not defined." && safeExit ;;
+  esac
+
+
+  # _______________ MAIN
+  case ${flag} in
+       --status) echo "${code} ${status}" ;;
+       -s)       echo "${code} ${status}" ;;
+       --code)   echo "${code}"         ;;
+       -c)       echo "${code}"         ;;
+       *)        echo " !!  httpstatus: bad flag" && safeExit;;
+  esac
+
+  IFS="${saveIFS}"
 }
\ No newline at end of file