diff --git a/doc/src/connection.rst b/doc/src/connection.rst
index ec4a4ee2..2dbea6cb 100644
--- a/doc/src/connection.rst
+++ b/doc/src/connection.rst
@@ -322,9 +322,9 @@ The ``connection`` class
     .. seealso:: :ref:`Asynchronous support <async-support>`.
 
 
-    .. method:: issync()
+    .. attribute:: async
 
-        Return `True` if the connection is synchronous, `False` if asynchronous.
+        Read only attribute: 1 if the connection is asynchronous, 0 otherwse.
 
 
     .. method:: poll()
diff --git a/psycopg/connection_type.c b/psycopg/connection_type.c
index 432078fb..919e7e4d 100644
--- a/psycopg/connection_type.c
+++ b/psycopg/connection_type.c
@@ -547,25 +547,6 @@ psyco_conn_fileno(connectionObject *self)
 }
 
 
-/* extension: issync - tell if the connection is synchronous */
-
-#define psyco_conn_issync_doc \
-"issync() -> bool -- Return True if the connection is synchronous."
-
-static PyObject *
-psyco_conn_issync(connectionObject *self)
-{
-    if (self->async) {
-        Py_INCREF(Py_False);
-        return Py_False;
-    }
-    else {
-        Py_INCREF(Py_True);
-        return Py_True;
-    }
-}
-
-
 /* extension: executing - check for asynchronous operations */
 
 #define psyco_conn_executing_doc                           \
@@ -631,8 +612,6 @@ static struct PyMethodDef connectionObject_methods[] = {
      METH_NOARGS, psyco_conn_lobject_doc},
     {"fileno", (PyCFunction)psyco_conn_fileno,
      METH_NOARGS, psyco_conn_fileno_doc},
-    {"issync", (PyCFunction)psyco_conn_issync,
-     METH_NOARGS, psyco_conn_issync_doc},
     {"executing", (PyCFunction)psyco_conn_executing,
      METH_NOARGS, psyco_conn_executing_doc},
 #endif
@@ -654,6 +633,8 @@ static struct PyMemberDef connectionObject_members[] = {
     {"notifies", T_OBJECT, offsetof(connectionObject, notifies), RO},
     {"dsn", T_STRING, offsetof(connectionObject, dsn), RO,
         "The current connection string."},
+    {"async", T_LONG, offsetof(connectionObject, async), RO,
+        "True if the connection is asynchronous."},
     {"status", T_INT,
         offsetof(connectionObject, status), RO,
         "The current transaction status."},
diff --git a/tests/test_async.py b/tests/test_async.py
index e1b50cbf..fe00555e 100755
--- a/tests/test_async.py
+++ b/tests/test_async.py
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ class AsyncTests(unittest.TestCase):
         cur = self.conn.cursor()
         sync_cur = self.sync_conn.cursor()
 
-        self.assertEquals(self.conn.issync(), False)
-        self.assertEquals(self.sync_conn.issync(), True)
+        self.assert_(self.conn.async)
+        self.assert_(not self.sync_conn.async)
 
         # the async connection should be in isolevel 0
         self.assertEquals(self.conn.isolation_level, 0)
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ class AsyncTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
         conn = psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn, connection_factory=MyConn, async=True)
         self.assert_(isinstance(conn, MyConn))
-        self.assert_(not conn.issync())
+        self.assert_(conn.async)
         conn.close()
 
     def test_flush_on_write(self):