diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 Changelog for Extra
 
+1.4.9
+    Add line1
 1.4.8
     Add displayException
 1.4.7
diff --git a/extra.cabal b/extra.cabal
--- a/extra.cabal
+++ b/extra.cabal
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 cabal-version:      >= 1.10
 build-type:         Simple
 name:               extra
-version:            1.4.8
+version:            1.4.9
 license:            BSD3
 license-file:       LICENSE
 category:           Development
diff --git a/src/Data/List/Extra.hs b/src/Data/List/Extra.hs
--- a/src/Data/List/Extra.hs
+++ b/src/Data/List/Extra.hs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 module Data.List.Extra(
     module Data.List,
     -- * String operations
-    lower, upper, trim, trimStart, trimEnd, word1,
+    lower, upper, trim, trimStart, trimEnd, word1, line1,
     -- * Splitting    
     dropEnd, takeEnd, splitAtEnd, breakEnd, spanEnd,
     dropWhileEnd, dropWhileEnd', takeWhileEnd,
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 --
 -- > \xs -> repeatedly (splitAt 3) xs  == chunksOf 3 xs
 -- > \xs -> repeatedly word1 (trim xs) == words xs
+-- > \xs -> repeatedly line1 xs == lines xs
 repeatedly :: ([a] -> (b, [a])) -> [a] -> [b]
 repeatedly f [] = []
 repeatedly f as = b : repeatedly f as'
@@ -234,7 +235,17 @@
 -- > \s -> fst (word1 s) == concat (take 1 $ words s)
 -- > \s -> words (snd $ word1 s) == drop 1 (words s)
 word1 :: String -> (String, String)
-word1 x = second (dropWhile isSpace) $ break isSpace $ dropWhile isSpace x
+word1 = second (dropWhile isSpace) . break isSpace . dropWhile isSpace
+
+-- | Split the first line off a string.
+--
+-- > line1 "" == ("", "")
+-- > line1 "test" == ("test","")
+-- > line1 "test\n" == ("test","")
+-- > line1 "test\nrest" == ("test","rest")
+-- > line1 "test\nrest\nmore" == ("test","rest\nmore")
+line1 :: String -> (String, String)
+line1 = second drop1 . break (== '\n')
 
 
 #if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ < 709
diff --git a/src/Extra.hs b/src/Extra.hs
--- a/src/Extra.hs
+++ b/src/Extra.hs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     modifyIORef', writeIORef', atomicModifyIORef', atomicWriteIORef, atomicWriteIORef',
     -- * Data.List.Extra
     -- | Extra functions available in @"Data.List.Extra"@.
-    lower, upper, trim, trimStart, trimEnd, word1, dropEnd, takeEnd, splitAtEnd, breakEnd, spanEnd, dropWhileEnd, dropWhileEnd', takeWhileEnd, stripSuffix, stripInfix, stripInfixEnd, wordsBy, linesBy, breakOn, breakOnEnd, splitOn, split, chunksOf, list, uncons, unsnoc, cons, snoc, drop1, mconcatMap, groupSort, groupSortOn, groupSortBy, nubOrd, nubOrdBy, nubOrdOn, nubOn, groupOn, sortOn, disjoint, allSame, anySame, repeatedly, for, firstJust, concatUnzip, concatUnzip3, replace, merge, mergeBy,
+    lower, upper, trim, trimStart, trimEnd, word1, line1, dropEnd, takeEnd, splitAtEnd, breakEnd, spanEnd, dropWhileEnd, dropWhileEnd', takeWhileEnd, stripSuffix, stripInfix, stripInfixEnd, wordsBy, linesBy, breakOn, breakOnEnd, splitOn, split, chunksOf, list, uncons, unsnoc, cons, snoc, drop1, mconcatMap, groupSort, groupSortOn, groupSortBy, nubOrd, nubOrdBy, nubOrdOn, nubOn, groupOn, sortOn, disjoint, allSame, anySame, repeatedly, for, firstJust, concatUnzip, concatUnzip3, replace, merge, mergeBy,
     -- * Data.Tuple.Extra
     -- | Extra functions available in @"Data.Tuple.Extra"@.
     first, second, (***), (&&&), dupe, both, fst3, snd3, thd3,
diff --git a/test/TestGen.hs b/test/TestGen.hs
--- a/test/TestGen.hs
+++ b/test/TestGen.hs
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
     testGen "\\x -> fromEither (Right x) == x" $ \x -> fromEither (Right x) == x
     testGen "\\xs -> repeatedly (splitAt 3) xs  == chunksOf 3 xs" $ \xs -> repeatedly (splitAt 3) xs  == chunksOf 3 xs
     testGen "\\xs -> repeatedly word1 (trim xs) == words xs" $ \xs -> repeatedly word1 (trim xs) == words xs
+    testGen "\\xs -> repeatedly line1 xs == lines xs" $ \xs -> repeatedly line1 xs == lines xs
     testGen "for [1,2,3] (+1) == [2,3,4]" $ for [1,2,3] (+1) == [2,3,4]
     testGen "disjoint [1,2,3] [4,5] == True" $ disjoint [1,2,3] [4,5] == True
     testGen "disjoint [1,2,3] [4,1] == False" $ disjoint [1,2,3] [4,1] == False
@@ -115,6 +116,11 @@
     testGen "word1 \"  keyword\\n  rest of string\" == (\"keyword\",\"rest of string\")" $ word1 "  keyword\n  rest of string" == ("keyword","rest of string")
     testGen "\\s -> fst (word1 s) == concat (take 1 $ words s)" $ \s -> fst (word1 s) == concat (take 1 $ words s)
     testGen "\\s -> words (snd $ word1 s) == drop 1 (words s)" $ \s -> words (snd $ word1 s) == drop 1 (words s)
+    testGen "line1 \"\" == (\"\", \"\")" $ line1 "" == ("", "")
+    testGen "line1 \"test\" == (\"test\",\"\")" $ line1 "test" == ("test","")
+    testGen "line1 \"test\\n\" == (\"test\",\"\")" $ line1 "test\n" == ("test","")
+    testGen "line1 \"test\\nrest\" == (\"test\",\"rest\")" $ line1 "test\nrest" == ("test","rest")
+    testGen "line1 \"test\\nrest\\nmore\" == (\"test\",\"rest\\nmore\")" $ line1 "test\nrest\nmore" == ("test","rest\nmore")
     testGen "sortOn fst [(3,\"z\"),(1,\"\"),(3,\"a\")] == [(1,\"\"),(3,\"z\"),(3,\"a\")]" $ sortOn fst [(3,"z"),(1,""),(3,"a")] == [(1,""),(3,"z"),(3,"a")]
     testGen "groupSort [(1,'t'),(3,'t'),(2,'e'),(2,'s')] == [(1,\"t\"),(2,\"es\"),(3,\"t\")]" $ groupSort [(1,'t'),(3,'t'),(2,'e'),(2,'s')] == [(1,"t"),(2,"es"),(3,"t")]
     testGen "\\xs -> map fst (groupSort xs) == sort (nub (map fst xs))" $ \xs -> map fst (groupSort xs) == sort (nub (map fst xs))