diff --git a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/base.py b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/base.py
index 10637609156..1f9c20871bd 100644
--- a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/base.py
+++ b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/base.py
@@ -87,6 +87,25 @@ class SessionBase(object):
         except:
             return {}
 
+    def update(self, dict_):
+        self._session.update(dict_)
+        self.modified = True
+
+    def has_key(self, key):
+        return self._session.has_key(key)
+
+    def values(self):
+        return self._session.values()
+
+    def iterkeys(self):
+        return self._session.iterkeys()
+
+    def itervalues(self):
+        return self._session.itervalues()
+
+    def iteritems(self):
+        return self._session.iteritems()
+
     def _get_new_session_key(self):
         "Returns session key that isn't being used."
         # The random module is seeded when this Apache child is created.
diff --git a/django/contrib/sessions/tests.py b/django/contrib/sessions/tests.py
index 0f162b211f6..a1bc6799fa6 100644
--- a/django/contrib/sessions/tests.py
+++ b/django/contrib/sessions/tests.py
@@ -89,6 +89,66 @@ False
 >>> s.pop('some key', 'does not exist')
 'does not exist'
 
+
+>>> s.get('update key', None)
+
+# test .update()
+>>> s.modified = s.accessed = False   # Reset to pretend this wasn't accessed previously
+>>> s.update({'update key':1})
+>>> s.accessed, s.modified
+(True, True)
+>>> s.get('update key', None)
+1
+
+# test .has_key()
+>>> s.modified = s.accessed = False   # Reset to pretend this wasn't accessed previously
+>>> s.has_key('update key')
+True
+>>> s.accessed, s.modified
+(True, False)
+
+# test .values()
+>>> s = SessionBase()
+>>> s.values()
+[]
+>>> s.accessed
+True
+>>> s['x'] = 1
+>>> s.values()
+[1]
+
+# test .iterkeys()
+>>> s.accessed = False
+>>> i = s.iterkeys()
+>>> hasattr(i,'__iter__')
+True
+>>> s.accessed
+True
+>>> list(i)
+['x']
+
+# test .itervalues()
+>>> s.accessed = False
+>>> i = s.itervalues()
+>>> hasattr(i,'__iter__')
+True
+>>> s.accessed
+True
+>>> list(i)
+[1]
+
+# test .iteritems()
+>>> s.accessed = False
+>>> i = s.iteritems()
+>>> hasattr(i,'__iter__')
+True
+>>> s.accessed
+True
+>>> list(i)
+[('x', 1)]
+
+ 
+
 #########################
 # Custom session expiry #
 #########################