diff --git a/core/coreiface/options/block.go b/core/coreiface/options/block.go
index ea4ae26bb..40dfba79a 100644
--- a/core/coreiface/options/block.go
+++ b/core/coreiface/options/block.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ type BlockPutSettings struct {
 	Codec    string
 	MhType   uint64
 	MhLength int
+	Pin      bool
 }
 
 type BlockRmSettings struct {
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ func BlockPutOptions(opts ...BlockPutOption) (*BlockPutSettings, cid.Prefix, err
 		Codec:    "",
 		MhType:   mh.SHA2_256,
 		MhLength: -1,
+		Pin:      false,
 	}
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
@@ -105,6 +107,15 @@ func (blockOpts) Hash(mhType uint64, mhLen int) BlockPutOption {
 	}
 }
 
+// Pin is an option for Block.Put which specifies whether to (recursively) pin
+// added blocks
+func (blockOpts) Pin(pin bool) BlockPutOption {
+	return func(settings *BlockPutSettings) error {
+		settings.Pin = pin
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // Force is an option for Block.Rm which, when set to true, will ignore
 // non-existing blocks
 func (blockOpts) Force(force bool) BlockRmOption {
diff --git a/core/coreiface/tests/block.go b/core/coreiface/tests/block.go
index 427ad3357..c2ee70a3a 100644
--- a/core/coreiface/tests/block.go
+++ b/core/coreiface/tests/block.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ func (tp *provider) TestBlock(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("TestBlockGet", tp.TestBlockGet)
 	t.Run("TestBlockRm", tp.TestBlockRm)
 	t.Run("TestBlockStat", tp.TestBlockStat)
+	t.Run("TestBlockPin", tp.TestBlockPin)
 }
 
 func (tp *provider) TestBlockPut(t *testing.T) {
@@ -203,3 +204,40 @@ func (tp *provider) TestBlockStat(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("length doesn't match")
 	}
 }
+
+func (tp *provider) TestBlockPin(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	api, err := tp.makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = api.Block().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`Hello`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if pins, err := api.Pin().Ls(ctx); err != nil || len(pins) != 0 {
+		t.Fatal("expected 0 pins")
+	}
+
+	res, err := api.Block().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`Hello`), opt.Block.Pin(true))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	pins, err := api.Pin().Ls(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	if len(pins) != 1 {
+		t.Fatal("expected 1 pin")
+	}
+	if pins[0].Type() != "recursive" {
+		t.Error("expected a recursive pin")
+	}
+	if pins[0].Path().String() != res.Path().String() {
+		t.Error("pin path didn't match")
+	}
+}