diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1131ffc7..365e9c7d 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
+2008-12-29  Tatsuhiro Tsujikawa  <t-tujikawa@users.sourceforge.net>
+
+	Added --use-head option to toggle whether HEAD method should be
+	used in the first HTTP request. By default aria2 uses HEAD method
+	as the first request. When the server doesn't recognize HEAD, then
+	give aria2 --use-head=false to force aria2 to use GET method
+	instead.
+	* src/OptionHandlerFactory.cc
+	* src/RequestGroupMan.cc
+	* src/option_processing.cc
+	* src/prefs.cc
+	* src/prefs.h
+	* src/usage_text.h
+
 2008-12-29  Tatsuhiro Tsujikawa  <t-tujikawa@users.sourceforge.net>
 
 	Fixed the bug that BitTorrent download doesn't finish when REJECT
diff --git a/src/OptionHandlerFactory.cc b/src/OptionHandlerFactory.cc
index 563ecf23..a1cbe1a1 100644
--- a/src/OptionHandlerFactory.cc
+++ b/src/OptionHandlerFactory.cc
@@ -539,6 +539,14 @@ OptionHandlers OptionHandlerFactory::createOptionHandlers()
     op->addTag(TAG_HTTP);
     handlers.push_back(op);
   }
+  {
+    SharedHandle<OptionHandler> op(new DefaultOptionHandler
+				   (PREF_USE_HEAD,
+				    TEXT_USE_HEAD,
+				    V_TRUE));
+    op->addTag(TAG_HTTP);
+    handlers.push_back(op);
+  }
   {
     SharedHandle<OptionHandler> op(new DefaultOptionHandler
 				   (PREF_USER_AGENT,
diff --git a/src/RequestGroupMan.cc b/src/RequestGroupMan.cc
index 71f6b30b..f0c30e93 100644
--- a/src/RequestGroupMan.cc
+++ b/src/RequestGroupMan.cc
@@ -268,6 +268,17 @@ void RequestGroupMan::configureRequestGroup
   }
 }
 
+static void createInitialCommand(const SharedHandle<RequestGroup>& requestGroup,
+				 std::deque<Command*>& commands,
+				 DownloadEngine* e,
+				 bool useHead)
+{
+  requestGroup->createInitialCommand(commands, e,
+				     useHead ?
+				     Request::METHOD_HEAD :
+				     Request::METHOD_GET);
+}
+
 void RequestGroupMan::fillRequestGroupFromReserver(DownloadEngine* e)
 {
   RequestGroups temp;
@@ -284,7 +295,8 @@ void RequestGroupMan::fillRequestGroupFromReserver(DownloadEngine* e)
       }
       configureRequestGroup(groupToAdd);
       Commands commands;
-      groupToAdd->createInitialCommand(commands, e);
+      createInitialCommand(groupToAdd, commands, e,
+			   _option->getAsBool(PREF_USE_HEAD));
       _requestGroups.push_back(groupToAdd);
       ++count;
       e->addCommand(commands);
@@ -308,7 +320,8 @@ void RequestGroupMan::getInitialCommands(std::deque<Command*>& commands,
     try {
       if((*itr)->isDependencyResolved()) {
 	configureRequestGroup(*itr);
-	(*itr)->createInitialCommand(commands, e);
+	createInitialCommand(*itr, commands, e,
+			     _option->getAsBool(PREF_USE_HEAD));
 	++itr;
       } else {
 	_reservedGroups.push_front((*itr));
diff --git a/src/option_processing.cc b/src/option_processing.cc
index e0102d84..035cf1db 100644
--- a/src/option_processing.cc
+++ b/src/option_processing.cc
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ Option* option_processing(int argc, char* const argv[])
       { PREF_CA_CERTIFICATE.c_str(), optional_argument, &lopt, 233 },
       { PREF_CHECK_CERTIFICATE.c_str(), optional_argument, &lopt, 234 },
       { PREF_NO_PROXY.c_str(), required_argument, &lopt, 235 },
+      { PREF_USE_HEAD.c_str(), optional_argument, &lopt, 236 },
 #if defined ENABLE_BITTORRENT || defined ENABLE_METALINK
       { PREF_SHOW_FILES.c_str(), no_argument, NULL, 'S' },
       { PREF_SELECT_FILE.c_str(), required_argument, &lopt, 21 },
@@ -470,6 +471,9 @@ Option* option_processing(int argc, char* const argv[])
       case 235:
 	cmdstream << PREF_NO_PROXY << "=" << optarg << "\n";
 	break;
+      case 236:
+	cmdstream << PREF_USE_HEAD << "=" << toBoolArg(optarg) << "\n";
+	break;
       }
       break;
     }
diff --git a/src/prefs.cc b/src/prefs.cc
index 8a677259..e1e93924 100644
--- a/src/prefs.cc
+++ b/src/prefs.cc
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ const std::string PREF_PRIVATE_KEY("private-key");
 const std::string PREF_CA_CERTIFICATE("ca-certificate");
 // value: true | false
 const std::string PREF_CHECK_CERTIFICATE("check-certificate");
+// value: true | false
+const std::string PREF_USE_HEAD("use-head");
 
 /** 
  * Proxy related preferences
diff --git a/src/prefs.h b/src/prefs.h
index 0328a656..3ce4e553 100644
--- a/src/prefs.h
+++ b/src/prefs.h
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ extern const std::string PREF_PRIVATE_KEY;
 extern const std::string PREF_CA_CERTIFICATE;
 // value: true | false
 extern const std::string PREF_CHECK_CERTIFICATE;
+// value: true | false
+extern const std::string PREF_USE_HEAD;
 
 /**;
  * Proxy related preferences
diff --git a/src/usage_text.h b/src/usage_text.h
index 62ca8241..a073a4aa 100644
--- a/src/usage_text.h
+++ b/src/usage_text.h
@@ -434,3 +434,6 @@ _(" --check-certificate[=true|false] Verify the peer using certificates specifie
 #define TEXT_NO_PROXY \
 _(" --no-proxy=DOMAINS           Specify comma separated hostnames or domains where\n"\
   "                              proxy should not be used.")
+#define TEXT_USE_HEAD \
+_(" --use-head[=true|false]      Use HEAD method for the first request to the HTTP\n"\
+  "                              server.")