diff --git a/IPython/core/history.py b/IPython/core/history.py
index 9bcdc03..7da04a7 100644
--- a/IPython/core/history.py
+++ b/IPython/core/history.py
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ class HistoryManager(object):
             if self.shell.has_readline:
                 self.populate_readline_history()
         
-    def get_history(self, index=None, raw=False, output=True):
+    def get_history(self, index=None, raw=False, output=True,this_session=True):
         """Get the history list.
 
         Get the input and output history.
@@ -201,6 +201,9 @@ class HistoryManager(object):
             If True, return the raw input.
         output : bool
             If True, then return the output as well.
+        this_session : bool
+            If True, indexing is from 1 at the start of this session.
+            If False, indexing is from 1 at the start of the whole history.
 
         Returns
         -------
@@ -214,9 +217,13 @@ class HistoryManager(object):
             input_hist = self.input_hist_parsed
         if output:
             output_hist = self.output_hist
+        
+        if this_session:
+            offset = self.session_offset
+        else:
+            offset = -1
             
         n = len(input_hist)
-        offset = self.session_offset
         if index is None:
             start=offset+1; stop=n
         elif isinstance(index, int):
diff --git a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
index c7c952b..340828a 100644
--- a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
@@ -1277,8 +1277,8 @@ class InteractiveShell(Configurable, Magic):
                 self.reload_history()
         return wrapper
     
-    def get_history(self, index=None, raw=False, output=True):
-        return self.history_manager.get_history(index, raw, output)
+    def get_history(self, index=None, raw=False, output=True,this_session=True):
+        return self.history_manager.get_history(index, raw, output,this_session)
     
 
     #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
index 8083e49..626c91f 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@ class IPythonWidget(FrontendWidget):
         """ Reimplemented to make a history request.
         """
         super(IPythonWidget, self)._started_channels()
-        self.kernel_manager.xreq_channel.history(raw=True, output=False)
+        self.kernel_manager.xreq_channel.history(raw=True, output=False,
+                                                            this_session=False)
 
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # 'ConsoleWidget' public interface
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
index 8a77e0c..c3d2754 100755
--- a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
@@ -309,10 +309,9 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
         logger.debug(msg)
 
     def history_request(self, ident, parent):
-        output = parent['content']['output']
-        index = parent['content']['index']
-        raw = parent['content']['raw']
-        hist = self.shell.get_history(index=index, raw=raw, output=output)
+        # parent['content'] should contain keys "index", "raw", "output" and
+        # "this_session".
+        hist = self.shell.get_history(**parent['content'])
         content = {'history' : hist}
         msg = self.session.send(self.reply_socket, 'history_reply',
                                 content, parent, ident)
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
index 9a4c412..b9c8421 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ class XReqSocketChannel(ZmqSocketChannel):
         self._queue_request(msg)
         return msg['header']['msg_id']
 
-    def history(self, index=None, raw=False, output=True):
+    def history(self, index=None, raw=False, output=True, this_session=True):
         """Get the history list.
 
         Parameters
@@ -295,12 +295,16 @@ class XReqSocketChannel(ZmqSocketChannel):
             If True, return the raw input.
         output : bool
             If True, then return the output as well.
+        this_session : bool
+            If True, returns only history from the current session. Otherwise,
+            includes reloaded history from previous sessions.
 
         Returns
         -------
         The msg_id of the message sent.
         """
-        content = dict(index=index, raw=raw, output=output)
+        content = dict(index=index, raw=raw, output=output, 
+                                                    this_session=this_session)
         msg = self.session.msg('history_request', content)
         self._queue_request(msg)
         return msg['header']['msg_id']