diff --git a/README.asciidoc b/README.asciidoc
index a49d5d845..1a54dd49c 100644
--- a/README.asciidoc
+++ b/README.asciidoc
@@ -805,6 +805,7 @@ Some of Kakoune state is available through environment variables:
  * `kak_source`: path of the file currently getting executed (through the source command)
  * `kak_cursor_line`: line of the end of the main selection
  * `kak_cursor_column`: column of the end of the main selection (in byte)
+ * `kak_cursor_char_value`: unicode value of the codepoint under the cursor
  * `kak_cursor_char_column`: column of the end of the main selection (in character)
  * `kak_cursor_byte_offset`: offset of the main selection from the beginning of the buffer (in byte).
  * `kak_window_width`: width of the current kakoune window
diff --git a/doc/manpages/expansions.asciidoc b/doc/manpages/expansions.asciidoc
index 72f6daa31..9b48f64cb 100644
--- a/doc/manpages/expansions.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/manpages/expansions.asciidoc
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ informations about Kakoune's state:
 	line of the end of the main selection
 *kak_cursor_column*::
 	column of the end of the main selection (in byte)
+*kak_cursor_char_value*::
+	unicode value of the codepoint under the cursor
 *kak_cursor_char_column*::
 	column of the end of the main selection (in character)
 *kak_cursor_byte_offset*::
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 0108df17e..3e970fe7e 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ void register_env_vars()
             "cursor_column", false,
             [](StringView name, const Context& context) -> String
             { return to_string(context.selections().main().cursor().column + 1); }
+        }, {
+            "cursor_char_value", false,
+            [](StringView name, const Context& context) -> String
+            { auto coord = context.selections().main().cursor();
+              auto& buffer = context.buffer();
+              return to_string((size_t)utf8::codepoint(buffer.iterator_at(coord), buffer.end())); }
         }, {
             "cursor_char_column", false,
             [](StringView name, const Context& context) -> String