diff --git a/libxfce4util/libxfce4util.symbols b/libxfce4util/libxfce4util.symbols
index 15f7fd6..b28cc79 100644
--- a/libxfce4util/libxfce4util.symbols
+++ b/libxfce4util/libxfce4util.symbols
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ xfce_putenv
 xfce_setenv
 xfce_unsetenv
 xfce_expand_variables G_GNUC_MALLOC
+xfce_looks_like_an_uri
 #endif
 #endif
 
diff --git a/libxfce4util/xfce-miscutils.c b/libxfce4util/xfce-miscutils.c
index f52af5e..4d9165a 100644
--- a/libxfce4util/xfce-miscutils.c
+++ b/libxfce4util/xfce-miscutils.c
@@ -612,5 +612,34 @@ xfce_expand_variables (const gchar *command,
 
 
 
+/**
+ * xfce_looks_like_an_uri:
+ * @string : an input string.
+ *
+ * Returns %TRUE if the @string looks like an URI
+ * according to RFC 2396, %FALSE otherwise.
+ *
+ * Since: 4.7
+ **/
+gboolean
+xfce_looks_like_an_uri (const gchar *string)
+{
+  const gchar *s = string;
+
+  /* <scheme> starts with an alpha character */
+  if (g_ascii_isalpha (*s))
+    {
+      /* <scheme> continues with (alpha | digit | "+" | "-" | ".")* */
+      for (++s; g_ascii_isalnum (*s) || *s == '+' || *s == '-' || *s == '.'; ++s);
+
+      /* <scheme> must be followed by ":" */
+      return (*s == ':');
+    }
+
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
+
+
 #define __XFCE_MISCUTILS_C__
 #include <libxfce4util/libxfce4util-aliasdef.c>
diff --git a/libxfce4util/xfce-miscutils.h b/libxfce4util/xfce-miscutils.h
index d3b81bc..99cfedf 100644
--- a/libxfce4util/xfce-miscutils.h
+++ b/libxfce4util/xfce-miscutils.h
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ void    xfce_unsetenv         (const gchar *name);
 gchar*  xfce_expand_variables (const gchar *command,
                                gchar      **envp) G_GNUC_MALLOC;
 
+gboolean xfce_looks_like_an_uri (const gchar *string);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif	/* __XFCE_MISCUTILS_H__ */