diff --git a/tools/rosbag_storage/include/rosbag/bag.h b/tools/rosbag_storage/include/rosbag/bag.h
index 526c1dab03..83174d6fba 100644
--- a/tools/rosbag_storage/include/rosbag/bag.h
+++ b/tools/rosbag_storage/include/rosbag/bag.h
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
+#include <boost/config.hpp>
 #include <boost/iterator/iterator_facade.hpp>
 
 #include "console_bridge/console.h"
@@ -111,6 +112,12 @@ class ROSBAG_DECL Bag
 
     ~Bag();
 
+#ifndef BOOST_NO_CXX11_RVALUE_REFERENCES
+    Bag(Bag&& other);
+
+    Bag& operator=(Bag&& other);
+#endif // BOOST_NO_CXX11_RVALUE_REFERENCES
+
     //! Open a bag file.
     /*!
      * \param filename The bag file to open
@@ -186,9 +193,12 @@ class ROSBAG_DECL Bag
     void swap(Bag&);
 
 private:
+    // disable copying
     Bag(const Bag&);
     Bag& operator=(const Bag&);
 
+    void init();
+
     // This helper function actually does the write with an arbitrary serializable message
     template<class T>
     void doWrite(std::string const& topic, ros::Time const& time, T const& msg, boost::shared_ptr<ros::M_string> const& connection_header);
diff --git a/tools/rosbag_storage/src/bag.cpp b/tools/rosbag_storage/src/bag.cpp
index b030852cfe..09bfd94cbc 100644
--- a/tools/rosbag_storage/src/bag.cpp
+++ b/tools/rosbag_storage/src/bag.cpp
@@ -57,45 +57,52 @@ using ros::Time;
 
 namespace rosbag {
 
-Bag::Bag() :
-    mode_(bagmode::Write),
-    version_(0),
-    compression_(compression::Uncompressed),
-    chunk_threshold_(768 * 1024),  // 768KB chunks
-    bag_revision_(0),
-    file_size_(0),
-    file_header_pos_(0),
-    index_data_pos_(0),
-    connection_count_(0),
-    chunk_count_(0),
-    chunk_open_(false),
-    curr_chunk_data_pos_(0),
-    current_buffer_(0),
-    decompressed_chunk_(0)
+Bag::Bag()
 {
+    init();
 }
 
-Bag::Bag(string const& filename, uint32_t mode) :
-    compression_(compression::Uncompressed),
-    chunk_threshold_(768 * 1024),  // 768KB chunks
-    bag_revision_(0),
-    file_size_(0),
-    file_header_pos_(0),
-    index_data_pos_(0),
-    connection_count_(0),
-    chunk_count_(0),
-    chunk_open_(false),
-    curr_chunk_data_pos_(0),
-    current_buffer_(0),
-    decompressed_chunk_(0)
+Bag::Bag(string const& filename, uint32_t mode)
 {
+    init();
     open(filename, mode);
 }
 
+#ifndef BOOST_NO_CXX11_RVALUE_REFERENCES
+
+Bag::Bag(Bag&& other) {
+    init();
+    swap(other);
+}
+
+Bag& Bag::operator=(Bag&& other) {
+    swap(other);
+    return *this;
+}
+
+#endif // BOOST_NO_CXX11_RVALUE_REFERENCES
+
 Bag::~Bag() {
     close();
 }
 
+void Bag::init() {
+    mode_ = bagmode::Write;
+    version_ = 0;
+    compression_ = compression::Uncompressed;
+    chunk_threshold_ = 768 * 1024;  // 768KB chunks
+    bag_revision_ = 0;
+    file_size_ = 0;
+    file_header_pos_ = 0;
+    index_data_pos_ = 0;
+    connection_count_ = 0;
+    chunk_count_ = 0;
+    chunk_open_ = false;
+    curr_chunk_data_pos_ = 0;
+    current_buffer_ = 0;
+    decompressed_chunk_ = 0;
+}
+
 void Bag::open(string const& filename, uint32_t mode) {
     mode_ = (BagMode) mode;