diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/VertxImpl.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/VertxImpl.java
index 135d5a202..e42fe3642 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/VertxImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/VertxImpl.java
@@ -352,6 +352,23 @@ public class VertxImpl implements VertxInternal, MetricsProvider {
     return new TimeoutStreamImpl(delay, false);
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public <T> PromiseInternal<T> promise() {
+    ContextInternal context = getOrCreateContext();
+    return context.promise();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public <T> PromiseInternal<T> promise(Handler<AsyncResult<T>> handler) {
+    if (handler instanceof PromiseInternal) {
+      return (PromiseInternal<T>) handler;
+    } else {
+      PromiseInternal<T> promise = promise();
+      promise.future().setHandler(handler);
+      return promise;
+    }
+  }
+
   public void runOnContext(Handler<Void> task) {
     ContextInternal context = getOrCreateContext();
     context.runOnContext(task);
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/VertxInternal.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/VertxInternal.java
index 28e99cc8b..788b13b8f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/VertxInternal.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/VertxInternal.java
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
  */
 public interface VertxInternal extends Vertx {
 
+  /**
+   * @return a promise associated with the context returned by {@link #getOrCreateContext()}.
+   */
+  <T> PromiseInternal<T> promise();
+
+  <T> PromiseInternal<T> promise(Handler<AsyncResult<T>> handler);
+
   long maxEventLoopExecTime();
 
   TimeUnit maxEventLoopExecTimeUnit();