diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+1.3.0 (2012-02-25):
+    - Added Control.Concurrent.STM.TMVar.Compat
 1.2.0.3 (2012-02-12):
     - Change stability from experimental to provisional.
 1.2.0.2 (2012-02-12):
diff --git a/src/Control/Concurrent/STM/TMVar/Compat.hs b/src/Control/Concurrent/STM/TMVar/Compat.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Control/Concurrent/STM/TMVar/Compat.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+{-# OPTIONS_GHC -Wall -fwarn-tabs #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+--                                                    2012.02.25
+-- |
+-- Module      :  Control.Concurrent.STM.TMVar.Compat
+-- Copyright   :  Copyright (c) 2011--2012 wren ng thornton
+-- License     :  BSD
+-- Maintainer  :  wren@community.haskell.org
+-- Stability   :  provisional
+-- Portability :  non-portable (STM, CPP)
+--
+-- Compatibility layer for older versions of the @stm@ library.
+-- Namely, we define 'tryReadTMVar' which @stm-X.X.X@ lacks. This
+-- module uses Cabal-style CPP macros in order to use the package
+-- versions when available. This isn't actually used by the @stm-chans@
+-- package, but we provide it anyways since we provide compatibility
+-- layers for @TVar@ and @TChan@.
+--
+-- /Since: 1.3.0/
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+module Control.Concurrent.STM.TMVar.Compat
+    (
+    -- * The TMVar type
+      TMVar()
+    -- ** Creating TMVars
+    , newTMVar        -- :: a -> STM (TMVar a)
+    , newTMVarIO      -- :: a -> IO  (TMVar a)
+    , newEmptyTMVar   -- :: STM (TMVar a)
+    , newEmptyTMVarIO -- :: IO  (TMVar a)
+    -- ** Reading from TMVars
+    , readTMVar       -- :: TMVar a -> STM a
+    , tryReadTMVar    -- :: TMVar a -> STM (Maybe a)
+    , takeTMVar       -- :: TMVar a -> STM a
+    , tryTakeTMVar    -- :: TMVar a -> STM (Maybe a)
+    -- ** Writing to TMVars
+    , putTMVar        -- :: TMVar a -> a -> STM ()
+    , tryPutTMVar     -- :: TMVar a -> a -> STM Bool
+    , swapTMVar       -- :: TMVar a -> a -> STM a
+    -- TODO: make another patch for trySwapTMVar?
+    -- ** Other capabilities
+    , isEmptyTMVar    -- :: TMVar a -> STM Bool
+    ) where
+
+import Control.Concurrent.STM.TMVar
+
+-- BUG: What version will these really be added?
+-- <http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/5104>
+-- <http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/cvs-libraries/2011-April/012914.html>
+#if ! (MIN_VERSION_stm(9,0,0))
+import Control.Concurrent.STM (STM)
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+-- | A version of 'readTMVar' which does not retry. Instead it returns @Nothing@ if no value is available.
+tryReadTMVar :: TMVar a -> STM (Maybe a)
+tryReadTMVar var = do
+    m <- tryTakeTMVar var
+    case m of
+        Nothing -> return Nothing
+        Just x  -> putTMVar var x >> return (Just x)
+{- -- The optimized implementation in the patch to @stm@
+tryReadTMVar (TMVar t) = readTVar t
+{-# INLINE tryReadTMVar #-}
+-}
+
+#endif
+
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+----------------------------------------------------------- fin.
diff --git a/stm-chans.cabal b/stm-chans.cabal
--- a/stm-chans.cabal
+++ b/stm-chans.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
--- wren ng thornton <wren@community.haskell.org>    ~ 2012.02.12
+-- wren ng thornton <wren@community.haskell.org>    ~ 2012.02.25
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 -- By and large Cabal >=1.2 is fine; but >= 1.6 gives tested-with:
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 Build-Type:     Custom
 
 Name:           stm-chans
-Version:        1.2.0.3
+Version:        1.3.0
 Stability:      provisional
 Homepage:       http://code.haskell.org/~wren/
 Author:         wren ng thornton, Thomas DuBuisson
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
     --
     -- N.B., stm >= 2.1.2 is required for fast readTVarIO. And
     -- stm >= ?.?.? is required for fast tryReadTChan, peekTChan,
-    -- tryPeekTChan.
+    -- tryPeekTChan, tryReadTMVar, modifyTVar, modifyTVar', swapTVar.
     Build-Depends: base >= 4.1 && < 5
                  , stm  >= 2.1.1
     
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
                    , Control.Concurrent.STM.TBMChan
                    , Control.Concurrent.STM.TMChan
                    , Control.Concurrent.STM.TChan.Compat
+                   , Control.Concurrent.STM.TMVar.Compat
                    , Control.Concurrent.STM.TVar.Compat
 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------