diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 2f5d4be1..2888e924 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@
   * `XMonad.Util.EZConfig`
     - Added support for XF86Bluetooth.
 
+  * `XMonad.Hooks.DynamicLog`
+    - Added `xmobarBorder` function to create borders around strings.
 
 ## 0.16
 
diff --git a/XMonad/Hooks/DynamicLog.hs b/XMonad/Hooks/DynamicLog.hs
index c76ac133..2c072e54 100644
--- a/XMonad/Hooks/DynamicLog.hs
+++ b/XMonad/Hooks/DynamicLog.hs
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ module XMonad.Hooks.DynamicLog (
 
     -- * Formatting utilities
     wrap, pad, trim, shorten,
-    xmobarColor, xmobarAction, xmobarRaw,
-    xmobarStrip, xmobarStripTags,
+    xmobarColor, xmobarAction, xmobarBorder,
+    xmobarRaw, xmobarStrip, xmobarStripTags,
     dzenColor, dzenEscape, dzenStrip,
 
     -- * Internal formatting functions
@@ -436,6 +436,18 @@ xmobarAction command button = wrap l r
         l = "<action=`" ++ command ++ "` button=" ++ button ++ ">"
         r = "</action>"
 
+-- | Use xmobar box to add a border to an arbitrary string.
+xmobarBorder :: String -- ^ Border type. Possible values: VBoth, HBoth, Full,
+                       -- Top, Bottom, Left or Right
+             -> String -- ^ color: a color name, or #rrggbb format
+             -> Int    -- ^ width in pixels
+             -> String -- ^ output string
+             -> String
+xmobarBorder border color width = wrap prefix "</box>"
+  where
+    prefix = "<box type=" ++ border ++ " width=" ++ show width ++ " color="
+      ++ color ++ ">"
+
 -- | Encapsulate arbitrary text for display only, i.e. untrusted content if
 -- wrapped (perhaps from window titles) will be displayed only, with all tags
 -- ignored. Introduced in xmobar 0.21; see their documentation. Be careful not