diff --git a/quickfixj-core/src/main/java/quickfix/FieldMap.java b/quickfixj-core/src/main/java/quickfix/FieldMap.java
index f7edfe408..5a80be216 100644
--- a/quickfixj-core/src/main/java/quickfix/FieldMap.java
+++ b/quickfixj-core/src/main/java/quickfix/FieldMap.java
@@ -37,13 +37,8 @@
 import java.time.LocalDate;
 import java.time.LocalTime;
 import java.time.LocalDateTime;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Comparator;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.*;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
-import java.util.TreeMap;
 
 /**
  * Field container used by messages, groups, and composites.
@@ -232,6 +227,15 @@ public String getString(int field) throws FieldNotFound {
         return getField(field).getObject();
     }
 
+    public Optional<String> getOptionalString(int field) {
+        final StringField f = (StringField) fields.get(field);
+        if (f == null) {
+            return Optional.empty();
+        } else {
+            return Optional.of(f.getValue());
+        }
+    }
+
     public boolean getBoolean(int field) throws FieldNotFound {
         try {
             return BooleanConverter.convert(getString(field));
diff --git a/quickfixj-core/src/test/java/quickfix/FieldMapTest.java b/quickfixj-core/src/test/java/quickfix/FieldMapTest.java
index 8e40d5e49..c03f2cf7d 100644
--- a/quickfixj-core/src/test/java/quickfix/FieldMapTest.java
+++ b/quickfixj-core/src/test/java/quickfix/FieldMapTest.java
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import quickfix.field.converter.UtcTimeOnlyConverter;
 
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 /**
  * Tests the {@link FieldMap} class.
@@ -91,6 +92,16 @@ public void testOrdering() {
         testOrdering(new int[] { 3, 2, 1 }, new int[] { 3, 1 }, new int[] { 3, 1, 2 });
     }
 
+    public void testOptionalString() {
+        FieldMap map = new Message();
+        map.setField(new StringField(128, "bigbank"));
+        Optional<String> optValue = map.getOptionalString(128);
+        assertTrue(optValue.isPresent());
+        assertEquals("bigbank", optValue.get());
+        assertFalse(map.getOptionalString(129).isPresent());
+    }
+
+
     private long epochMilliOfLocalDate(LocalDateTime localDateTime) {
         return localDateTime.toInstant(ZoneOffset.UTC).toEpochMilli();
     }