diff --git a/libvips/foreign/foreign.c b/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
index 61ccce47..855ef7e9 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
@@ -615,6 +615,33 @@ vips_foreign_is_a( const char *loader, const char *filename )
 	return( FALSE );
 }
 
+/**
+ * vips_foreign_is_a_buffer:
+ * @loader: name of loader to use for test
+ * @data: pointer to the buffer to test
+ * @size: size of the buffer to test
+ *
+ * Return %TRUE if @data can be loaded by @loader. @loader is something
+ * like "tiffload_buffer" or "VipsForeignLoadTiffBuffer".
+ *
+ * Returns: %TRUE if @data can be loaded by @loader.
+ */
+gboolean
+vips_foreign_is_a_buffer( const char *loader, void *data, size_t size )
+{
+	VipsObjectClass *class;
+	VipsForeignLoadClass *load_class;
+
+	if( !(class = vips_class_find( "VipsForeignLoad", loader )) )
+		return( FALSE );
+	load_class = VIPS_FOREIGN_LOAD_CLASS( class );
+	if( load_class->is_a_buffer &&
+		load_class->is_a_buffer( data, size ) )
+		return( TRUE );
+
+	return( FALSE );
+}
+
 /**
  * vips_foreign_flags:
  * @loader: name of loader to use for test
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h b/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
index a695d4e0..6dfa144a 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ const char *vips_foreign_find_load_buffer( void *data, size_t size );
 
 VipsForeignFlags vips_foreign_flags( const char *loader, const char *filename );
 gboolean vips_foreign_is_a( const char *loader, const char *filename );
+gboolean vips_foreign_is_a_buffer( const char *loader, void *data, size_t size );
 
 #define VIPS_TYPE_FOREIGN_SAVE (vips_foreign_save_get_type())
 #define VIPS_FOREIGN_SAVE( obj ) \