diff --git a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
index 5369cda04..bda9cecca 100644
--- a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
+++ b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
     <changes>
         <release version="3.6-beta1" date="2009-??-??">
+           <action dev="POI-DEVELOPERS" type="add">Add support for creating SummaryInformation and DocumentSummaryInformation properties on POIDocuments that don't have them, via POIDocument.createInformationProperties()</action>
            <action dev="POI-DEVELOPERS" type="fix">48180 - be more forgiving of short chart records, which skip some unused fields</action>
            <action dev="POI-DEVELOPERS" type="fix">48274 - fix erronious wrapping of byte colours in HSSFPalette.findSimilarColor</action>
            <action dev="POI-DEVELOPERS" type="fix">48269 - fix fetching of error codes from XSSF formula cells</action>
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/POIDocument.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/POIDocument.java
index 15571601b..dacc9235c 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/POIDocument.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/POIDocument.java
@@ -85,6 +85,25 @@ public abstract class POIDocument {
         if(!initialized) readProperties();
         return sInf;
     }
+	
+	/**
+	 * Will create whichever of SummaryInformation
+	 *  and DocumentSummaryInformation (HPSF) properties
+	 *  are not already part of your document.
+	 * This is normally useful when creating a new
+	 *  document from scratch.
+	 * If the information properties are already there,
+	 *  then nothing will happen.
+	 */
+	public void createInformationProperties() {
+        if(!initialized) readProperties();
+		if(sInf == null) {
+			sInf = PropertySetFactory.newSummaryInformation();
+		}
+		if(dsInf == null) {
+			dsInf = PropertySetFactory.newDocumentSummaryInformation();
+		}
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Find, and create objects for, the standard
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/TestPOIDocumentMain.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/TestPOIDocumentMain.java
index 47f2c0be9..f6e0a1e9e 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/TestPOIDocumentMain.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/TestPOIDocumentMain.java
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@ package org.apache.poi;
 
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
 
 import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.HSSFTestDataSamples;
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFWorkbook;
 import org.apache.poi.poifs.filesystem.POIFSFileSystem;
 
 /**
@@ -104,4 +106,68 @@ public final class TestPOIDocumentMain extends TestCase {
 		// Delegate test
 		testReadProperties();
 	}
+	
+	public void testCreateNewProperties() throws IOException {
+		POIDocument doc = new HSSFWorkbook();
+		
+		// New document won't have them
+		assertNull(doc.getSummaryInformation());
+		assertNull(doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation());
+		
+		// Add them in
+		doc.createInformationProperties();
+		assertNotNull(doc.getSummaryInformation());
+		assertNotNull(doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation());
+
+		// Write out and back in again, no change
+		ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+		doc.write(baos);
+		ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(baos.toByteArray());
+
+		doc = new HSSFWorkbook(bais);
+		
+		assertNotNull(doc.getSummaryInformation());
+		assertNotNull(doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation());
+	}
+	
+	public void testCreateNewPropertiesOnExistingFile() throws IOException {
+		POIDocument doc = new HSSFWorkbook();
+		
+		// New document won't have them
+		assertNull(doc.getSummaryInformation());
+		assertNull(doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation());
+
+		// Write out and back in again, no change
+		ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+		doc.write(baos);
+		ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(baos.toByteArray());
+		doc = new HSSFWorkbook(bais);
+		
+		assertNull(doc.getSummaryInformation());
+		assertNull(doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation());
+		
+		// Create, and change
+		doc.createInformationProperties();
+		doc.getSummaryInformation().setAuthor("POI Testing");
+		doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation().setCompany("ASF");
+		
+		// Save and re-load
+		baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+		doc.write(baos);
+		bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(baos.toByteArray());
+		doc = new HSSFWorkbook(bais);
+		
+		// Check
+		assertNotNull(doc.getSummaryInformation());
+		assertNotNull(doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation());
+		assertEquals("POI Testing", doc.getSummaryInformation().getAuthor());
+		assertEquals("ASF", doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation().getCompany());
+		
+		// Asking to re-create will make no difference now
+		doc.createInformationProperties();
+		assertNotNull(doc.getSummaryInformation());
+		assertNotNull(doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation());
+		assertEquals("POI Testing", doc.getSummaryInformation().getAuthor());
+		assertEquals("ASF", doc.getDocumentSummaryInformation().getCompany());
+	}
 }