diff --git a/core/attributedef.class.inc.php b/core/attributedef.class.inc.php
index 95b86711a..6b568b2dd 100644
--- a/core/attributedef.class.inc.php
+++ b/core/attributedef.class.inc.php
@@ -6644,6 +6644,17 @@ class AttributeCustomFields extends AttributeDefinition
 		return $oHandler->WriteValues($oHostObject, $aValues);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * The part of the current attribute in the object's signature, for the supplied value
+	 * @param $value The value of this attribute for the object
+	 * @return string The "signature" for this field/attribute
+	 */
+	public function Fingerprint($value)
+	{
+		$oHandler = $this->GetHandler($value->GetValues());
+		return $oHandler->GetValueFingerprint();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Check the validity of the data
 	 * @param DBObject $oHostObject
diff --git a/core/customfieldshandler.class.inc.php b/core/customfieldshandler.class.inc.php
index 1befb9c1d..f9d421700 100644
--- a/core/customfieldshandler.class.inc.php
+++ b/core/customfieldshandler.class.inc.php
@@ -131,4 +131,10 @@ abstract class CustomFieldsHandler
 	 * @return bool
 	 */
 	abstract public function CompareValues($aValuesA, $aValuesB);
+
+	/**
+	 * String representation of the value, must depend solely on the semantics
+	 * @return string
+	 */
+	abstract public function GetValueFingerprint();
 }