diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core.model.script/src/org/eclipse/smarthome/model/script/actions/Things.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core.model.script/src/org/eclipse/smarthome/model/script/actions/Things.java
index 628136e0800..47fa0c0cf24 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core.model.script/src/org/eclipse/smarthome/model/script/actions/Things.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core.model.script/src/org/eclipse/smarthome/model/script/actions/Things.java
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
  */
 package org.eclipse.smarthome.model.script.actions;
 
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.eclipse.smarthome.config.core.validation.ConfigValidationException;
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.core.thing.ThingStatusInfo;
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.core.thing.binding.ThingActions;
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.model.script.internal.engine.action.ThingActionService;
@@ -22,7 +25,7 @@
  *
  * @author Maoliang Huang - Initial contribution
  * @author Kai Kreuzer - Extended for general thing access
- *
+ * @author Christoph Weitkamp - Added methods to retrieve and update thing configurations
  */
 public class Things {
 
@@ -36,6 +39,28 @@ public static ThingStatusInfo getThingStatusInfo(String thingUid) {
         return ThingActionService.getThingStatusInfo(thingUid);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Retrieves the configuration of a Thing
+     *
+     * @param thingUid The uid of the thing
+     * @return a map of configuration parameters
+     */
+    public static Map<String, Object> getThingConfiguration(String thingUid) {
+        return ThingActionService.getThingConfiguration(thingUid);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Updates the configuration of a Thing
+     *
+     * @param thingUid The uid of the thing
+     * @param configurationParameters map of changed configuration parameters
+     * @throws ConfigValidationException if one or more of the given configuration parameters do not match their
+     *             declarations in the configuration description
+     */
+    public static void updateThingConfiguration(String thingUid, Map<String, Object> configurationParameters) {
+        ThingActionService.updateThingConfiguration(thingUid, configurationParameters);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get the actions instance for a Thing of a given scope
      *
diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core.model.script/src/org/eclipse/smarthome/model/script/internal/engine/action/ThingActionService.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core.model.script/src/org/eclipse/smarthome/model/script/internal/engine/action/ThingActionService.java
index 41c7723e160..bf0d774a8ce 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core.model.script/src/org/eclipse/smarthome/model/script/internal/engine/action/ThingActionService.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core.model.script/src/org/eclipse/smarthome/model/script/internal/engine/action/ThingActionService.java
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
  *
  * @author Maoliang Huang - Initial contribution
  * @author Kai Kreuzer - Extended for general thing access
- *
+ * @author Christoph Weitkamp - Added methods to retrieve and update thing configurations
  */
 @Component(immediate = true)
 public class ThingActionService implements ActionService {
@@ -72,6 +72,25 @@ public static ThingStatusInfo getThingStatusInfo(String thingUid) {
         }
     }
 
+    public static Map<String, Object> getThingConfiguration(String thingUid) {
+        Thing thing = thingRegistry.get(new ThingUID(thingUid));
+        Map<String, Object> propertiesMap = new HashMap<>();
+        if (thing != null) {
+            propertiesMap.putAll(thing.getConfiguration().getProperties());
+        }
+        return propertiesMap;
+    }
+
+    public static void updateThingConfiguration(String thingUid, Map<String, Object> configurationParameters) {
+        Thing thing = thingRegistry.get(new ThingUID(thingUid));
+        if (thing != null) {
+            ThingHandler handler = thing.getHandler();
+            if (handler != null) {
+                handler.handleConfigurationUpdate(configurationParameters);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     public static ThingActions getActions(String scope, String thingUid) {
         ThingUID uid = new ThingUID(thingUid);
         Thing thing = thingRegistry.get(uid);