diff --git a/MANIFEST b/MANIFEST
index eef1f50dde64..543f63784f58 100644
--- a/MANIFEST
+++ b/MANIFEST
@@ -5207,6 +5207,7 @@ ext/XS-APItest/t/utf8_warn07.t			Tests for code in utf8.c
 ext/XS-APItest/t/utf8_warn08.t			Tests for code in utf8.c
 ext/XS-APItest/t/utf8_warn09.t			Tests for code in utf8.c
 ext/XS-APItest/t/utf8_warn_base.pl		Tests for code in utf8.c
+ext/XS-APItest/t/valid_identifier.t		XS::APItest: tests for valid_identifier_sv()
 ext/XS-APItest/t/weaken.t			XS::APItest: tests for sv_rvweaken() and sv_get_backrefs()
 ext/XS-APItest/t/whichsig.t			XS::APItest: tests for whichsig() and variants
 ext/XS-APItest/t/win32.t			Test Win32 specific APIs
diff --git a/embed.fnc b/embed.fnc
index 5f48566133b9..a0cd6f3672db 100644
--- a/embed.fnc
+++ b/embed.fnc
@@ -3766,6 +3766,12 @@ EXdpx	|bool	|validate_proto |NN SV *name				\
 				|NULLOK SV *proto			\
 				|bool warn				\
 				|bool curstash
+Adp	|bool	|valid_identifier_pvn					\
+				|NN const char *s			\
+				|STRLEN len				\
+				|U32 flags
+Adp	|bool	|valid_identifier_sv					\
+				|NULLOK const SV *sv
 CRTdip	|UV	|valid_utf8_to_uvchr					\
 				|NN const U8 *s 			\
 				|NULLOK STRLEN *retlen
diff --git a/embed.h b/embed.h
index 86804dee2694..a4fba3060f81 100644
--- a/embed.h
+++ b/embed.h
@@ -865,6 +865,8 @@
 # define uvchr_to_utf8_flags(a,b,c)             Perl_uvchr_to_utf8_flags(aTHX,a,b,c)
 # define uvchr_to_utf8_flags_msgs(a,b,c,d)      Perl_uvchr_to_utf8_flags_msgs(aTHX,a,b,c,d)
 # define uvoffuni_to_utf8_flags_msgs(a,b,c,d)   Perl_uvoffuni_to_utf8_flags_msgs(aTHX_ a,b,c,d)
+# define valid_identifier_pvn(a,b,c)            Perl_valid_identifier_pvn(aTHX_ a,b,c)
+# define valid_identifier_sv(a)                 Perl_valid_identifier_sv(aTHX_ a)
 # define valid_utf8_to_uvchr                    Perl_valid_utf8_to_uvchr
 # define vcmp(a,b)                              Perl_vcmp(aTHX_ a,b)
 # define vcroak(a,b)                            Perl_vcroak(aTHX_ a,b)
diff --git a/ext/XS-APItest/APItest.pm b/ext/XS-APItest/APItest.pm
index 05df69ef8c78..3b7201a0daf4 100644
--- a/ext/XS-APItest/APItest.pm
+++ b/ext/XS-APItest/APItest.pm
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use strict;
 use warnings;
 use Carp;
 
-our $VERSION = '1.39';
+our $VERSION = '1.40';
 
 require XSLoader;
 
diff --git a/ext/XS-APItest/APItest.xs b/ext/XS-APItest/APItest.xs
index 6dcc02e8dbe7..4196bbb7004c 100644
--- a/ext/XS-APItest/APItest.xs
+++ b/ext/XS-APItest/APItest.xs
@@ -7408,6 +7408,12 @@ gimme()
     OUTPUT:
         RETVAL
 
+bool
+valid_identifier(SV *s)
+    CODE:
+        RETVAL = valid_identifier_sv(s);
+    OUTPUT:
+        RETVAL
 
 MODULE = XS::APItest            PACKAGE = XS::APItest::Backrefs
 
diff --git a/ext/XS-APItest/t/valid_identifier.t b/ext/XS-APItest/t/valid_identifier.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1467046635b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/XS-APItest/t/valid_identifier.t
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!perl
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use open ':std', ':encoding(UTF-8)';
+use Test::More;
+
+use_ok('XS::APItest');
+
+# These should all be valid
+foreach my $id (qw( abc ab_cd _abc x123 )) {
+    ok(valid_identifier($id), "'$id' is valid identifier");
+}
+
+# These should all not be
+foreach my $id (qw( ab-cd 123 abc() ), "ab cd") {
+    ok(!valid_identifier($id), "'$id' is not valid identifier");
+}
+
+# Now for some UTF-8 tests
+{
+    use utf8;
+
+    foreach my $id (qw( café sandviĉon )) {
+        ok(valid_identifier($id), "'$id' is valid UTF-8 identifier");
+    }
+
+    # en-dash
+    ok(!valid_identifier("ab–cd"), "'ab–cd' is not valid UTF-8 identifier");
+}
+
+done_testing;
diff --git a/pod/perldelta.pod b/pod/perldelta.pod
index 3ce40a3b49c0..8c243afa2da4 100644
--- a/pod/perldelta.pod
+++ b/pod/perldelta.pod
@@ -350,6 +350,12 @@ well.
 
 XXX
 
+=item *
+
+New API functions C<valid_identifier_pvn()> and C<valid_identifier_sv()> have
+been added, which test if a string would be considered by Perl to be a valid
+identifier name.
+
 =back
 
 =head1 Selected Bug Fixes
diff --git a/proto.h b/proto.h
index 61327e70349d..4783f1799e3f 100644
--- a/proto.h
+++ b/proto.h
@@ -5390,6 +5390,15 @@ Perl_uvoffuni_to_utf8_flags_msgs(pTHX_ U8 *d, UV input_uv, const UV flags, HV **
 #define PERL_ARGS_ASSERT_UVOFFUNI_TO_UTF8_FLAGS_MSGS \
         assert(d)
 
+PERL_CALLCONV bool
+Perl_valid_identifier_pvn(pTHX_ const char *s, STRLEN len, U32 flags);
+#define PERL_ARGS_ASSERT_VALID_IDENTIFIER_PVN   \
+        assert(s)
+
+PERL_CALLCONV bool
+Perl_valid_identifier_sv(pTHX_ const SV *sv);
+#define PERL_ARGS_ASSERT_VALID_IDENTIFIER_SV
+
 PERL_CALLCONV bool
 Perl_validate_proto(pTHX_ SV *name, SV *proto, bool warn, bool curstash);
 #define PERL_ARGS_ASSERT_VALIDATE_PROTO         \
diff --git a/toke.c b/toke.c
index d8f77fb3a781..df4bce2d7713 100644
--- a/toke.c
+++ b/toke.c
@@ -13932,6 +13932,84 @@ Perl_parse_subsignature(pTHX_ U32 flags)
     return parse_recdescent_for_op(GRAMSUBSIGNATURE, LEX_FAKEEOF_NONEXPR);
 }
 
+/*
+=for apidoc valid_identifier_pvn
+
+Returns true if the string given by C<s> whose length is C<len> would be
+considered valid as a Perl identifier.  That is, it must begin with a
+character matching C<isIDFIRST>, followed by characters all matching
+C<isIDCONT>.  An empty string (i.e. when C<len> is zero) will return false.
+
+If C<flags> contains the C<SVf_UTF8> bit, then the string is presumed to be
+encoded in UTF-8, and suitable Unicode character test functions will be used.
+
+=cut
+*/
+
+bool
+Perl_valid_identifier_pvn(pTHX_ const char *s, STRLEN len, U32 flags)
+{
+    PERL_ARGS_ASSERT_VALID_IDENTIFIER_PVN;
+    const char *end = s + len;
+
+    if(!len)
+        return false;
+
+    if(flags & SVf_UTF8) {
+        if(!isIDFIRST_utf8_safe((U8 *)s, (U8 *)end))
+            return false;
+
+        while(s < end) {
+            s += UTF8SKIP((U8 *)s);
+            if(s == end)
+                break;
+            if(s > end || !isIDCONT_utf8_safe((U8 *)s, (U8 *)end))
+                return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+    else {
+        if(!isIDFIRST(s[0]))
+            return false;
+
+        while(s < end) {
+            s += 1;
+            if(s == end)
+                break;
+            if(s > end || !isIDCONT(s[0]))
+                return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+/*
+=for apidoc valid_identifier_sv
+
+Returns true if the given SV contains a non-empty string whose characters
+match accoding to C<valid_identifier_pvn>.  Returns false if given NULL, an
+undefined SV, or a SV that does not contain a non-empty string.
+
+Does not invoke C<get> magic on the SV beforehand.
+
+=cut
+*/
+
+bool
+Perl_valid_identifier_sv(pTHX_ const SV *sv)
+{
+    PERL_ARGS_ASSERT_VALID_IDENTIFIER_SV;
+
+    /* If SvPOK is not set, there's no point stringifying a number because its
+     * string form will end up starting with a digit and won't match anyway */
+    if(!sv || !SvOK(sv) || !SvPOK(sv))
+        return false;
+
+    return valid_identifier_pvn(SvPVX_const(sv), SvCUR(sv), SvUTF8(sv));
+}
+
 /*
  * ex: set ts=8 sts=4 sw=4 et:
  */