diff --git a/lib/Cake/Controller/Component/FlashComponent.php b/lib/Cake/Controller/Component/FlashComponent.php
index 3605481d9..6ae4ad61b 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Controller/Component/FlashComponent.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Controller/Component/FlashComponent.php
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class FlashComponent extends Component {
 		'key' => 'flash',
 		'element' => 'default',
 		'params' => array(),
+		'clear' => false
 	);
 
 /**
@@ -82,7 +83,10 @@ class FlashComponent extends Component {
 		}
 		$options['element'] = $plugin . 'Flash/' . $element;
 
-		$messages = CakeSession::read('Message.' . $options['key']);
+		$messages = array();
+		if ($options['clear'] === false) {
+			$messages = (array)CakeSession::read('Message.' . $options['key']);
+		}
 
 		$newMessage = array(
 			'message' => $message,
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Controller/Component/FlashComponentTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Controller/Component/FlashComponentTest.php
index f427be195..d20eab5b7 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Controller/Component/FlashComponentTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Controller/Component/FlashComponentTest.php
@@ -131,6 +131,20 @@ class FlashComponentTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$result = CakeSession::read('Message.foobar');
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
 		CakeSession::delete('Message.foobar');
+
+		$this->Flash->set('This is the first message');
+		$this->Flash->set('This is the second message', array('clear' => true));
+		$expected = array(
+			array(
+				'message' => 'This is the second message',
+				'key' => 'flash',
+				'element' => 'Flash/default',
+				'params' => array()
+			)
+		);
+		$result = CakeSession::read('Message.flash');
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+		CakeSession::delete('Message.flash');
 	}
 
 /**