diff --git a/rq/worker.py b/rq/worker.py
index 9048e68..ac4d7e6 100644
--- a/rq/worker.py
+++ b/rq/worker.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import traceback
 import logging
 from .queue import Queue, get_failed_queue
 from .connections import get_current_connection
-from .job import Status
+from .job import Job, Status
 from .utils import make_colorizer, utcnow, utcformat
 from .logutils import setup_loghandlers
 from .exceptions import NoQueueError, DequeueTimeout
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class Worker(object):
         worker = cls([], name, connection=connection)
         queues = as_text(connection.hget(worker.key, 'queues'))
         worker._state = connection.hget(worker.key, 'state') or '?'
+        worker._job_id = connection.hget(worker.key, 'current_job') or None
         if queues:
             worker.queues = [Queue(queue, connection=connection)
                              for queue in queues.split(',')]
@@ -213,9 +214,10 @@ class Worker(object):
             p.expire(self.key, 60)
             p.execute()
 
-    def set_state(self, state):
+    def set_state(self, state, pipeline=None):
         self._state = state
-        self.connection.hset(self.key, 'state', state)
+        connection = pipeline if pipeline is not None else self.connection
+        connection.hset(self.key, 'state', state)
 
     def _set_state(self, state):
         self.set_state(state)
@@ -232,6 +234,28 @@ class Worker(object):
     
     state = property(_get_state, _set_state)
 
+    def set_job_id(self, new_job_id, pipeline=None):
+        self._job_id = new_job_id
+
+        connection = pipeline if pipeline is not None else self.connection
+
+        if new_job_id is None:
+            connection.hdel(self.key, 'current_job')
+        else:
+            connection.hset(self.key, 'current_job', new_job_id)
+
+    def get_job_id(self):
+        return self._job_id
+
+    def get_current_job(self):
+        """Returns the job id of the currently executing job."""
+        job_id = self.get_job_id()
+
+        if job_id is None:
+            return None
+
+        return Job.safe_fetch(job_id)
+
     @property
     def stopped(self):
         return self._stopped
@@ -322,6 +346,8 @@ class Worker(object):
                 self.set_state('busy')
 
                 job, queue = result
+                self.set_job_id(job.id)
+
                 # Use the public setter here, to immediately update Redis
                 job.status = Status.STARTED
                 self.log.info('%s: %s (%s)' % (green(queue.name),
@@ -330,6 +356,8 @@ class Worker(object):
                 self.heartbeat((job.timeout or 180) + 60)
                 self.execute_job(job)
                 self.heartbeat()
+                self.set_job_id(None)
+                
                 if job.status == Status.FINISHED:
                     queue.enqueue_dependents(job)