diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFFont.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFFont.java
index 3d13e97587..73b402facd 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFFont.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFFont.java
@@ -206,11 +206,21 @@ public final class HSSFFont implements Font {
      * @see #BOLDWEIGHT_NORMAL
      * @see #BOLDWEIGHT_BOLD
      */
-
     public void setBoldweight(short boldweight)
     {
         font.setBoldWeight(boldweight);
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * sets the font to be bold or not
+     */
+    public void setBold(boolean bold)
+    {
+        if (bold)
+            font.setBoldWeight(BOLDWEIGHT_BOLD);
+        else
+            font.setBoldWeight(BOLDWEIGHT_NORMAL);
+    }
 
     /**
      * get the boldness to use
@@ -218,11 +228,18 @@ public final class HSSFFont implements Font {
      * @see #BOLDWEIGHT_NORMAL
      * @see #BOLDWEIGHT_BOLD
      */
-
     public short getBoldweight()
     {
         return font.getBoldWeight();
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * get if the font is bold or not
+     */
+    public boolean getBold()
+    {
+        return getBoldweight() == BOLDWEIGHT_BOLD;
+    }
 
     /**
      * set normal,super or subscript.
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Font.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Font.java
index ee0d8add8b..4ddf474e43 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Font.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Font.java
@@ -277,8 +277,8 @@ public interface Font {
     public short getIndex();
 
     public void setBoldweight(short boldweight);
+    public void setBold(boolean bold);
 
     public short getBoldweight();
-
-
+    public boolean getBold();
 }
\ No newline at end of file