diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
index 291aaaf..d5b0ee1 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class IPythonWidget(FrontendWidget):
             else:
                 super(IPythonWidget, self)._handle_execute_reply(msg)
 
-    def _handle_history_tail_reply(self, msg):
+    def _handle_history_reply(self, msg):
         """ Implemented to handle history tail replies, which are only supported
             by the IPython kernel.
         """
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ class IPythonWidget(FrontendWidget):
         """ Reimplemented to make a history request.
         """
         super(IPythonWidget, self)._started_channels()
-        self.kernel_manager.xreq_channel.history_tail(1000)
+        self.kernel_manager.xreq_channel.history(hist_access_type='tail', n=1000)
 
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # 'ConsoleWidget' public interface
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/kernelmanager.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/kernelmanager.py
index c47b489..5e362bd 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/kernelmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/kernelmanager.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class QtXReqSocketChannel(SocketChannelQObject, XReqSocketChannel):
     execute_reply = QtCore.Signal(object)
     complete_reply = QtCore.Signal(object)
     object_info_reply = QtCore.Signal(object)
-    history_tail_reply = QtCore.Signal(object)
+    history_reply = QtCore.Signal(object)
 
     # Emitted when the first reply comes back.
     first_reply = QtCore.Signal()
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
index 39013a1..527b127 100755
--- a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
 
         # Build dict of handlers for message types
         msg_types = [ 'execute_request', 'complete_request', 
-                      'object_info_request', 'history_tail_request',
+                      'object_info_request', 'history_request',
                       'connect_request', 'shutdown_request']
         self.handlers = {}
         for msg_type in msg_types:
@@ -323,15 +323,32 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
                                 oinfo, parent, ident)
         logger.debug(msg)
 
-    def history_tail_request(self, ident, parent):
+    def history_request(self, ident, parent):
         # We need to pull these out, as passing **kwargs doesn't work with
         # unicode keys before Python 2.6.5.
-        n = parent['content']['n']
+        hist_access_type = parent['content']['hist_access_type']
         raw = parent['content']['raw']
         output = parent['content']['output']
-        hist = self.shell.history_manager.get_tail(n, raw=raw, output=output)
+        if hist_access_type == 'tail':
+            n = parent['content']['n']
+            hist = self.shell.history_manager.get_tail(n, raw=raw, output=output,
+                                                            include_latest=True)
+        
+        elif hist_access_type == 'range':
+            session = parent['content']['session']
+            start = parent['content']['start']
+            stop = parent['content']['stop']
+            hist = self.shell.history_manager.get_range(session, start, stop,
+                                                        raw=raw, output=output)
+        
+        elif hist_access_type == 'search':
+            pattern = parent['content']['pattern']
+            hist = self.shell.history_manager.search(pattern, raw=raw, output=output)
+        
+        else:
+            hist = []
         content = {'history' : list(hist)}
-        msg = self.session.send(self.reply_socket, 'history_tail_reply',
+        msg = self.session.send(self.reply_socket, 'history_reply',
                                 content, parent, ident)
         logger.debug(str(msg))
 
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
index a099f95..582a1c3 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
@@ -282,24 +282,41 @@ class XReqSocketChannel(ZmqSocketChannel):
         self._queue_request(msg)
         return msg['header']['msg_id']
 
-    def history_tail(self, n=10, raw=True, output=False):
-        """Get the history list.
+    def history(self, raw=True, output=False, hist_access_type='range', **kwargs):
+        """Get entries from the history list.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        n : int
-            The number of lines of history to get.
         raw : bool
             If True, return the raw input.
         output : bool
             If True, then return the output as well.
+        hist_access_type : str
+            'range' (fill in session, start and stop params), 'tail' (fill in n)
+             or 'search' (fill in pattern param).
+        
+        session : int
+            For a range request, the session from which to get lines. Session
+            numbers are positive integers; negative ones count back from the
+            current session.
+        start : int
+            The first line number of a history range.
+        stop : int
+            The final (excluded) line number of a history range.
+        
+        n : int
+            The number of lines of history to get for a tail request.
+            
+        pattern : str
+            The glob-syntax pattern for a search request.
 
         Returns
         -------
         The msg_id of the message sent.
         """
-        content = dict(n=n, raw=raw, output=output)
-        msg = self.session.msg('history_tail_request', content)
+        content = dict(raw=raw, output=output, hist_access_type=hist_access_type,
+                                                                    **kwargs)
+        msg = self.session.msg('history_request', content)
         self._queue_request(msg)
         return msg['header']['msg_id']
 
diff --git a/docs/source/development/messaging.txt b/docs/source/development/messaging.txt
index 641b48a..e425188 100644
--- a/docs/source/development/messaging.txt
+++ b/docs/source/development/messaging.txt
@@ -596,21 +596,34 @@ Message type: ``history_request``::
       # If True, return the raw input history, else the transformed input.
       'raw' : bool,
 
-      # This parameter can be one of: A number,  a pair of numbers, None
-      # If not given, last 40 are returned.
-      #  - number n: return the last n entries.
-      #  - pair n1, n2: return entries in the range(n1, n2).
-      #  - None: return all history
-      'index' : n or (n1, n2) or None,
+      # So far, this can be 'range', 'tail' or 'search'.
+      'hist_access_type' : str,
+      
+      # If hist_access_type is 'range', get a range of input cells. session can
+      # be a positive session number, or a negative number to count back from
+      # the current session.
+      'session' : int,
+      # start and stop are line numbers within that session.
+      'start' : int,
+      'stop' : int,
+      
+      # If hist_access_type is 'tail', get the last n cells.
+      'n' : int,
+      
+      # If hist_access_type is 'search', get cells matching the specified glob
+      # pattern (with * and ? as wildcards).
+      'pattern' : str,
+      
     }
 
 Message type: ``history_reply``::
 
     content = {
-      # A dict with prompt numbers as keys and either (input, output) or input
-      # as the value depending on whether output was True or False,
-      # respectively.
-      'history' : dict,
+      # A list of 3 tuples, either:
+      # (session, line_number, input) or
+      # (session, line_number, (input, output)),
+      # depending on whether output was False or True, respectively.
+      'history' : list,
     }