--- a/java.source/apichanges.xml	
+++ a/java.source/apichanges.xml	
@@ -108,6 +108,19 @@ 
     <!-- ACTUAL CHANGES BEGIN HERE: -->
 
     <changes>
+        <change id="ElementHandle-jvm-signature">
+             <api name="general"/>
+             <summary>Added SourceUtils.getJVMSignature to obtain the JVM signature for an ElementHandle</summary>
+             <version major="0" minor="84"/>
+             <date day="22" month="7" year="2011"/>
+             <author login="tzezula"/>
+             <compatibility addition="yes" binary="compatible" deletion="no" deprecation="no" modification="no" semantic="compatible" source="compatible"/>
+             <description>
+                 Added a method <code>SourceUtils.getJVMSignature</code> to obtain the JVM signature for an <code>ElementHandle</code>.
+             </description>
+             <class package="org.netbeans.api.java.source" name="SourceUtils"/>
+             <issue number="200237"/>
+        </change>
         <change id="comments-reformat">
              <api name="general"/>
              <summary>Added several methods to <code>CodeStyle</code> to support reformatting of comments.</summary>
--- a/java.source/nbproject/project.properties	
+++ a/java.source/nbproject/project.properties	
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ 
 javadoc.title=Java Source
 javadoc.arch=${basedir}/arch.xml
 javadoc.apichanges=${basedir}/apichanges.xml
-spec.version.base=0.83.0
+spec.version.base=0.84.0
 test.qa-functional.cp.extra=${refactoring.java.dir}/modules/ext/javac-api-nb-7.0-b07.jar
 test.unit.run.cp.extra=${o.n.core.dir}/core/core.jar:\
     ${o.n.core.dir}/lib/boot.jar:\
--- a/java.source/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandle.java	
+++ a/java.source/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandle.java	
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ 
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symtab;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.Target;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.model.JavacElements;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
@@ -554,6 +555,13 @@ 
         public <T extends Element> T resolve(ElementHandle<T> handle, JavacTaskImpl jti) {
             return handle.resolveImpl (jti);
         }
+
+        @Override
+        @NonNull
+        public String[] getJVMSignature(@NonNull final ElementHandle<?> handle) {
+            return Arrays.copyOf(handle.signatures, handle.signatures.length);
+        }
+
     }
     
     private static Element getTypeElementByBinaryName (final String signature, final JavacTaskImpl jt) {
--- a/java.source/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/SourceUtils.java	
+++ a/java.source/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/SourceUtils.java	
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ 
 import org.netbeans.api.lexer.TokenHierarchy;
 import org.netbeans.api.lexer.TokenSequence;
 import org.netbeans.modules.java.JavaDataLoader;
+import org.netbeans.modules.java.source.ElementHandleAccessor;
 import org.netbeans.modules.java.source.JavadocHelper;
 import org.netbeans.modules.java.source.indexing.JavaCustomIndexer;
 import org.netbeans.modules.java.source.parsing.ClasspathInfoProvider;
@@ -245,7 +246,25 @@ 
 		
 	return (TypeElement)ec;
     }
-    
+
+    /**
+     * Returns an array containing the JVM signature of the {@link ElementHandle}.
+     * @param handle to obtain the JVM signature for.
+     * @return an array containing the JVM signature. The signature depends on
+     * the {@link ElementHandle}'s {@link ElementKind}. For class or package
+     * it returns a single element array containing the class (package) binary
+     * name (JLS section 13.1). For field (method) it returns three element array
+     * containing owner class binary name (JLS section 13.1) in the first element,
+     * field (method) name in the second element and JVM type (JVM method formal
+     * parameters (JVMS section 2.10.1)) in the third element.
+     */
+    @NonNull
+    public static String[] getJVMSignature(@NonNull final ElementHandle<?> handle) {
+        Parameters.notNull("handle", handle);   //NOI18N
+        return ElementHandleAccessor.INSTANCE.getJVMSignature(handle);
+    }
+
+
     /**Resolve full qualified name in the given context. Adds import statement as necessary.
      * Returns name that resolved to a given FQN in given context (either simple name
      * or full qualified name). Handles import conflicts.
--- a/java.source/src/org/netbeans/modules/java/source/ElementHandleAccessor.java	
+++ a/java.source/src/org/netbeans/modules/java/source/ElementHandleAccessor.java	
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ 
 import com.sun.tools.javac.api.JavacTaskImpl;
 import javax.lang.model.element.Element;
 import javax.lang.model.element.ElementKind;
+import org.netbeans.api.annotations.common.NonNull;
 import org.netbeans.api.java.source.ElementHandle;
 
 /**
@@ -74,6 +75,8 @@ 
     public abstract ElementHandle create (ElementKind kind, String... descriptors);
     
     public abstract <T extends Element> T resolve (ElementHandle<T> handle, JavacTaskImpl jti);
-        
-    
+
+    @NonNull
+    public abstract String[] getJVMSignature(@NonNull ElementHandle<?> handle);
+
 }