diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Query/Filter/SQLFilter.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Query/Filter/SQLFilter.php
index 2fe921b75..80015a0a6 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Query/Filter/SQLFilter.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Query/Filter/SQLFilter.php
@@ -133,6 +133,16 @@ abstract class SQLFilter
         return serialize($this->parameters);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the database connection used by the entity manager
+     *
+     * @return \Doctrine\DBAL\Connection
+     */
+    final protected function getConnection()
+    {
+        return $this->em->getConnection();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets the SQL query part to add to a query.
      *
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/SQLFilterTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/SQLFilterTest.php
index 590d5151e..eddbc4c42 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/SQLFilterTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/SQLFilterTest.php
@@ -243,6 +243,28 @@ class SQLFilterTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $this->assertEquals("'en'", $filter->getParameter('locale'));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @group DDC-3161
+     * @group 1054
+     */
+    public function testSQLFilterGetConnection()
+    {
+        // Setup mock connection
+        $conn = $this->getMockConnection();
+
+        $em = $this->getMockEntityManager($conn);
+        $em->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('getConnection')
+            ->will($this->returnValue($conn));
+
+        $filter = new MyLocaleFilter($em);
+
+        $reflMethod = new \ReflectionMethod('Doctrine\ORM\Query\Filter\SQLFilter', 'getConnection');
+        $reflMethod->setAccessible(true);
+
+        $this->assertSame($conn, $reflMethod->invoke($filter));
+    }
+
     public function testSQLFilterSetParameterInfersType()
     {
         // Setup mock connection