diff --git swh/journal/client.py swh/journal/client.py
index 0d481b0..42e2b96 100644
--- swh/journal/client.py
+++ swh/journal/client.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class JournalClient:
     def __init__(
             self, brokers, group_id, prefix=None, object_types=None,
             max_messages=0, process_timeout=0, auto_offset_reset='earliest',
-            **kwargs):
+            include_meta=False, **kwargs):
         if prefix is None:
             prefix = DEFAULT_PREFIX
         if object_types is None:
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ class JournalClient:
 
         self.max_messages = max_messages
         self.process_timeout = process_timeout
+        self.include_meta = include_meta
 
         self._object_types = object_types
 
@@ -179,9 +180,14 @@ class JournalClient:
                 # Got a message from a topic we did not subscribe to.
                 assert object_type in self._object_types, object_type
 
-                objects[object_type].append(
-                    self.value_deserializer(message.value())
-                )
+                obj = self.value_deserializer(message.value())
+                if self.include_meta:
+                    obj['_meta'] = {
+                        'timpestamp': message.timestamp(),
+                        'offset': message.offset(),
+                        'partition': message.partition(),
+                    }
+                objects[object_type].append(obj)
 
             if objects:
                 worker_fn(dict(objects))