Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for single program code message retrieval for message queues. In an embodiment of the invention, a message queue data processing system can be configured for single program code message retrieval for message queues. The system can include a message queue executing in a host server and providing an API to applications communicatively coupled to the message queue over a computer communications network. The API exposed by the message queue can include a single program call including program code enabled to open a queuing resource in the message queue, to retrieve all messages in a message buffer from the queuing resource and to close the queuing resource.