diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 77b53a6dea..3a6ae9b160 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -201,6 +201,9 @@ New Functionality
 - Environment variables for the execution of log rotation postprocessors can
   be set via ``Log::default_rotation_postprocessor_cmd_env``.
 
+- The ``record_field`` record was extended by ``optional`` and ``record_fields()``
+  can now be used to determine the optionality of record fields.
+
 Changed Functionality
 ---------------------
 
diff --git a/scripts/base/init-bare.zeek b/scripts/base/init-bare.zeek
index a02f3e38e7..ac356d471a 100644
--- a/scripts/base/init-bare.zeek
+++ b/scripts/base/init-bare.zeek
@@ -891,6 +891,7 @@ type record_field: record {
 	## :zeek:see:`record_fields` (if it has one).
 	value: any &optional;
 	default_val: any &optional;	##< The value of the :zeek:attr:`&default` attribute if defined.
+	optional: bool;	##< True if the field is :zeek:attr:`&optional`, else false.
 };
 
 ## Table type used to map record field declarations to meta-information
diff --git a/src/Type.cc b/src/Type.cc
index e624809b62..97542ee008 100644
--- a/src/Type.cc
+++ b/src/Type.cc
@@ -1348,6 +1348,7 @@ TableValPtr RecordType::GetRecordFieldsVal(const RecordVal* rv) const
 		nr->Assign(1, logged);
 		nr->Assign(2, std::move(fv));
 		nr->Assign(3, FieldDefault(i));
+		nr->Assign(4, fd->GetAttr(detail::ATTR_OPTIONAL) != detail::Attr::nil);
 		auto field_name = make_intrusive<StringVal>(FieldName(i));
 		rval->Assign(std::move(field_name), std::move(nr));
 		}
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/bifs.records_fields/out b/testing/btest/Baseline/bifs.records_fields/out
index 5d4f16243e..6a6921fc6a 100644
--- a/testing/btest/Baseline/bifs.records_fields/out
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/bifs.records_fields/out
@@ -1,66 +1,68 @@
 ### BTest baseline data generated by btest-diff. Do not edit. Use "btest -U/-u" to update. Requires BTest >= 0.63.
 [a=42, b=Foo, c=<uninitialized>, d=Bar, e=tt]
 {
-[a] = [type_name=count, log=F, value=42, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=Bar, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=Foo, default_val=Foo],
-[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[e] = [type_name=any, log=F, value=tt, default_val=<uninitialized>]
+[a] = [type_name=count, log=F, value=42, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=Bar, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=Foo, default_val=Foo, optional=T],
+[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[e] = [type_name=any, log=F, value=tt, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F]
 }
-F
+c value, F
+c default , F
+c optional, T
 {
-[a] = [type_name=bool, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[f] = [type_name=enum Monochrome::color, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=Bar],
-[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[m] = [type_name=record myrec, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[e] = [type_name=enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=BLUE]
+[a] = [type_name=bool, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[f] = [type_name=enum Monochrome::color, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=Bar, optional=T],
+[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[m] = [type_name=record myrec, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[e] = [type_name=enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=BLUE, optional=T]
 }
 {
-[a] = [type_name=bool, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[f] = [type_name=enum Monochrome::color, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=Bar],
-[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[m] = [type_name=record myrec, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[e] = [type_name=enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=BLUE]
+[a] = [type_name=bool, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[f] = [type_name=enum Monochrome::color, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=Bar, optional=T],
+[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[m] = [type_name=record myrec, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[e] = [type_name=enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=BLUE, optional=T]
 }
 {
-[a] = [type_name=count, log=F, value=42, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=Bar, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=Foo, default_val=Foo],
-[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[e] = [type_name=any, log=F, value=mystring, default_val=<uninitialized>]
+[a] = [type_name=count, log=F, value=42, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=Bar, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=Foo, default_val=Foo, optional=T],
+[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[e] = [type_name=any, log=F, value=mystring, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F]
 }
 {
 
 }
 {
-[myfield] = [type_name=bool, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>]
+[myfield] = [type_name=bool, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F]
 }
 {
-[a] = [type_name=bool, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[f] = [type_name=enum Monochrome::color, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=Bar],
-[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[m] = [type_name=record myrec, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[e] = [type_name=enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=BLUE]
+[a] = [type_name=bool, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[f] = [type_name=enum Monochrome::color, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=Bar, optional=T],
+[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[m] = [type_name=record myrec, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[e] = [type_name=enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=BLUE, optional=T]
 }
 {
-[a] = [type_name=count, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=Foo],
-[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[e] = [type_name=any, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>]
+[a] = [type_name=count, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[d] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[b] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=Foo, optional=T],
+[c] = [type_name=double, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[e] = [type_name=any, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F]
 }
 {
-[a] = [type_name=set[double], log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[d] = [type_name=table[double,string] of table[string] of vector of string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[f] = [type_name=vector of enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[b] = [type_name=set[double,string], log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[c] = [type_name=set[double,record tt], log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[g] = [type_name=table[string] of enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[e] = [type_name=vector of vector of string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>]
+[a] = [type_name=set[double], log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[d] = [type_name=table[double,string] of table[string] of vector of string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[f] = [type_name=vector of enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[b] = [type_name=set[double,string], log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[c] = [type_name=set[double,record tt], log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[g] = [type_name=table[string] of enum color, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[e] = [type_name=vector of vector of string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F]
 }
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/core.record-field-redef/output b/testing/btest/Baseline/core.record-field-redef/output
index da877cddd0..f35518cafa 100644
--- a/testing/btest/Baseline/core.record-field-redef/output
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/core.record-field-redef/output
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 ### BTest baseline data generated by btest-diff. Do not edit. Use "btest -U/-u" to update. Requires BTest >= 0.63.
 Info record_fields\x0a, {
-[extra1] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[extra2] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[ts] = [type_name=time, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[extra3] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[msg] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>],
-[extra4] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>]
+[extra1] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[extra2] = [type_name=string, log=F, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[ts] = [type_name=time, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[extra3] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T],
+[msg] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=F],
+[extra4] = [type_name=string, log=T, value=<uninitialized>, default_val=<uninitialized>, optional=T]
 }
 Info record, [ts=XXXXXXXXXX.XXXXXX, msg=msg, extra1=extra1 value, extra2=extra2 value, extra3=extra3 value, extra4=extra4 value]
diff --git a/testing/btest/bifs/records_fields.zeek b/testing/btest/bifs/records_fields.zeek
index 72120b5015..ad54afe534 100644
--- a/testing/btest/bifs/records_fields.zeek
+++ b/testing/btest/bifs/records_fields.zeek
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ event zeek_init()
     local t: record_field_table;
     t = record_fields(x);
     print t;
-    print t["c"]?$value;
+    print "c value", t["c"]?$value;
+    print "c default ", t["c"]?$default_val;
+    print "c optional", t["c"]$optional;
 
     t = record_fields(x$e);
     print t;