diff --git a/jsonschema/tests/test_validators.py b/jsonschema/tests/test_validators.py
index 1f03294..cc4bea8 100644
--- a/jsonschema/tests/test_validators.py
+++ b/jsonschema/tests/test_validators.py
@@ -810,6 +810,7 @@ class TestRefResolver(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_it_can_construct_a_base_uri_from_a_schema(self):
         schema = {"id" : "foo"}
         resolver = RefResolver.from_schema(schema)
+        self.assertEqual(resolver.base_uri, "foo")
         self.assertEqual(resolver.resolution_scope, "foo")
         with resolver.resolving("") as resolved:
             self.assertEqual(resolved, schema)
@@ -823,6 +824,7 @@ class TestRefResolver(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_it_can_construct_a_base_uri_from_a_schema_without_id(self):
         schema = {}
         resolver = RefResolver.from_schema(schema)
+        self.assertEqual(resolver.base_uri, "")
         self.assertEqual(resolver.resolution_scope, "")
         with resolver.resolving("") as resolved:
             self.assertEqual(resolved, schema)
diff --git a/jsonschema/validators.py b/jsonschema/validators.py
index c84a3db..8f35d2b 100644
--- a/jsonschema/validators.py
+++ b/jsonschema/validators.py
@@ -288,6 +288,11 @@ class RefResolver(object):
     def resolution_scope(self):
         return self._scopes_stack[-1]
 
+    # backwards compatibility
+    @property
+    def base_uri(self):
+        uri, _ = urldefrag(self.resolution_scope)
+        return uri
 
     # Deprecated, this function is no longer used, but is preserved for
     # backwards compatibility