diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 40698038..72e922bf 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 * CMake hide command lines in .vcxproj Output windows"
 
+WebSocket:
+
+* Add is_upgrade() free function
+
 API Changes:
 
 * Provide websocket::stream accept() overloads
diff --git a/doc/quickref.xml b/doc/quickref.xml
index a1afe585..f623a339 100644
--- a/doc/quickref.xml
+++ b/doc/quickref.xml
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
           <bridgehead renderas="sect3">Functions</bridgehead>
           <simplelist type="vert" columns="1">
             <member><link linkend="beast.ref.websocket__async_teardown">async_teardown</link></member>
+            <member><link linkend="beast.ref.websocket__is_upgrade">is_upgrade</link></member>
             <member><link linkend="beast.ref.websocket__teardown">teardown</link></member>
           </simplelist>
           <bridgehead renderas="sect3">Options</bridgehead>
diff --git a/include/beast/websocket/impl/rfc6455.ipp b/include/beast/websocket/impl/rfc6455.ipp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..684112bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/beast/websocket/impl/rfc6455.ipp
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Vinnie Falco (vinnie dot falco at gmail dot com)
+//
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
+// file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+//
+
+#ifndef BEAST_WEBSOCKET_IMPL_RFC6455_IPP
+#define BEAST_WEBSOCKET_IMPL_RFC6455_IPP
+
+#include <beast/http/rfc7230.hpp>
+
+namespace beast {
+namespace websocket {
+
+template<class Fields>
+bool
+is_upgrade(http::header<true, Fields> const& req)
+{
+    if(req.version < 11)
+        return false;
+    if(req.method != "GET")
+        return false;
+    if(! http::is_upgrade(req))
+        return false;
+    if(! http::token_list{req.fields["Upgrade"]}.exists("websocket"))
+        return false;
+    if(! req.fields.exists("Sec-WebSocket-Version"))
+        return false;
+    return true;
+}
+
+} // websocket
+} // beast
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/beast/websocket/rfc6455.hpp b/include/beast/websocket/rfc6455.hpp
index 6051ebff..6813ed3f 100644
--- a/include/beast/websocket/rfc6455.hpp
+++ b/include/beast/websocket/rfc6455.hpp
@@ -10,13 +10,34 @@
 
 #include <beast/config.hpp>
 #include <beast/core/static_string.hpp>
-#include <boost/optional.hpp>
+#include <beast/http/message.hpp>
 #include <array>
 #include <cstdint>
 
 namespace beast {
 namespace websocket {
 
+/** Returns `true` if the specified HTTP request is a WebSocket Upgrade.
+
+    This function returns `true` when the passed HTTP Request
+    indicates a WebSocket Upgrade. It does not validate the
+    contents of the fields: it just trivially accepts requests
+    which could only possibly be a valid or invalid WebSocket
+    Upgrade message.
+
+    Callers who wish to manually read HTTP requests in their
+    server implementation can use this function to determine if
+    the request should be routed to an instance of
+    @ref websocket::stream.
+
+    @param req The HTTP Request object to check.
+
+    @return `true` if the request is a WebSocket Upgrade.
+*/
+template<class Fields>
+bool
+is_upgrade(beast::http::header<true, Fields> const& req);
+
 /** WebSocket frame header opcodes. */
 enum class opcode : std::uint8_t
 {
@@ -186,4 +207,6 @@ struct close_reason
 } // websocket
 } // beast
 
+#include <beast/websocket/impl/rfc6455.ipp>
+
 #endif
diff --git a/test/websocket/rfc6455.cpp b/test/websocket/rfc6455.cpp
index c34daf31..080b5f43 100644
--- a/test/websocket/rfc6455.cpp
+++ b/test/websocket/rfc6455.cpp
@@ -7,3 +7,43 @@
 
 // Test that header file is self-contained.
 #include <beast/websocket/rfc6455.hpp>
+
+#include <beast/unit_test/suite.hpp>
+
+namespace beast {
+namespace websocket {
+
+class rfc6455_test
+    : public beast::unit_test::suite
+{
+public:
+    void
+    test_is_upgrade()
+    {
+        http::request_header req;
+        req.version = 10;
+        BEAST_EXPECT(! is_upgrade(req));
+        req.version = 11;
+        req.method = "POST";
+        req.url = "/";
+        BEAST_EXPECT(! is_upgrade(req));
+        req.method = "GET";
+        req.fields.insert("Connection", "upgrade");
+        BEAST_EXPECT(! is_upgrade(req));
+        req.fields.insert("Upgrade", "websocket");
+        BEAST_EXPECT(! is_upgrade(req));
+        req.fields.insert("Sec-WebSocket-Version", "13");
+        BEAST_EXPECT(is_upgrade(req));
+    }
+
+    void
+    run() override
+    {
+        test_is_upgrade();
+    }
+};
+
+BEAST_DEFINE_TESTSUITE(rfc6455,websocket,beast);
+
+} // websocket
+} // beast