4 files changed, 28 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/lib/kernel/doc/src/code.xml b/lib/kernel/doc/src/code.xml
index 279c7558bc..dbcf376487 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/doc/src/code.xml
+++ b/lib/kernel/doc/src/code.xml
@@ -738,6 +738,19 @@ rpc:call(Node, code, load_binary, [Module, Filename, Binary]),
 	<c>undefined</c>.</p>
       </desc>
     </func>
+
+    <func>
+      <name name="get_mode" arity="0"/>
+      <fsummary>The code_server's mode.</fsummary>
+      <desc>
+        <p>This function returns an atom describing the code_server's mode:
+        <c>interactive</c> or <c>embedded</c>. </p>
+        <p>This information is useful when an external entity (for example,
+        an IDE) provides additional code for a running node. If in interactive
+        mode, it only needs to add to the code path. If in embedded mode,
+        the code has to be loaded with <c>load_binary/3</c></p>
+      </desc>
+    </func>
   </funcs>
 </erlref>
 
diff --git a/lib/kernel/src/code.erl b/lib/kernel/src/code.erl
index 8a543abd6f..03fba96d4b 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/src/code.erl
+++ b/lib/kernel/src/code.erl
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@
 	 where_is_file/1,
 	 where_is_file/2,
 	 set_primary_archive/4,
-	 clash/0]).
+	 clash/0,
+     get_mode/0]).
 
 -export_type([load_error_rsn/0, load_ret/0]).
 
@@ -293,6 +294,9 @@ replace_path(Name, Dir) when (is_atom(Name) orelse is_list(Name)),
 -spec rehash() -> 'ok'.
 rehash() -> call(rehash).
 
+-spec get_mode() -> 'embedded' | 'interactive'.
+get_mode() -> call(get_mode).
+
 %%-----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 call(Req) ->
diff --git a/lib/kernel/src/code_server.erl b/lib/kernel/src/code_server.erl
index b770fce887..5d74e8620b 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/src/code_server.erl
+++ b/lib/kernel/src/code_server.erl
@@ -422,6 +422,9 @@ handle_call({is_cached,File}, {_From,_Tag}, S=#state{cache=Cache}) ->
 	    end
     end;
 
+handle_call(get_mode, {_From,_Tag}, S=#state{mode=Mode}) ->
+    {reply, Mode, S};
+
 handle_call(Other,{_From,_Tag}, S) ->			
     error_msg(" ** Codeserver*** ignoring ~w~n ",[Other]),
     {noreply,S}.
diff --git a/lib/kernel/test/code_SUITE.erl b/lib/kernel/test/code_SUITE.erl
index d7424c0c9a..4c040f0a0e 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/test/code_SUITE.erl
+++ b/lib/kernel/test/code_SUITE.erl
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 	 purge_stacktrace/1, mult_lib_roots/1, bad_erl_libs/1,
 	 code_archive/1, code_archive2/1, on_load/1, on_load_binary/1,
 	 on_load_embedded/1, on_load_errors/1, big_boot_embedded/1,
-	 native_early_modules/1]).
+	 native_early_modules/1, get_mode/1]).
 
 -export([init_per_testcase/2, end_per_testcase/2, 
 	 init_per_suite/1, end_per_suite/1,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ all() ->
      where_is_file_cached, purge_stacktrace, mult_lib_roots,
      bad_erl_libs, code_archive, code_archive2, on_load,
      on_load_binary, on_load_embedded, on_load_errors,
-     big_boot_embedded, native_early_modules].
+     big_boot_embedded, native_early_modules, get_mode].
 
 groups() -> 
     [].
@@ -1594,6 +1594,11 @@ native_early_modules_1(Architecture) ->
             ok
     end.
 
+get_mode(suite) -> [];
+get_mode(doc) -> ["Test that the mode of the code server is properly retrieved"];
+get_mode(Config) when is_list(Config) ->
+    interactive = code:get_mode().
+
 %%-----------------------------------------------------------------
 %% error_logger handler.
 %% (Copied from stdlib/test/proc_lib_SUITE.erl.)