diff --git a/app/pdb/gimppdb-utils.c b/app/pdb/gimppdb-utils.c
index 4fd5ff0b2b..a5bfe896d6 100644
--- a/app/pdb/gimppdb-utils.c
+++ b/app/pdb/gimppdb-utils.c
@@ -351,6 +351,26 @@ gimp_pdb_item_is_floating (GimpItem  *item,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+gboolean
+gimp_pdb_item_is_writable (GimpItem  *item,
+                           GError   **error)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_ITEM (item), FALSE);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (error == NULL || *error == NULL, FALSE);
+
+  if (gimp_item_get_lock_content (item))
+    {
+      g_set_error (error, GIMP_PDB_ERROR, GIMP_PDB_INVALID_ARGUMENT,
+                   _("Item '%s' (%d) cannot be modified because its "
+                     "contents are locked"),
+                   gimp_object_get_name (GIMP_OBJECT (item)),
+                   gimp_item_get_ID (item));
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
 gboolean
 gimp_pdb_layer_is_text_layer (GimpLayer  *layer,
                               GError    **error)
diff --git a/app/pdb/gimppdb-utils.h b/app/pdb/gimppdb-utils.h
index 8aad813f97..f7d401f6ba 100644
--- a/app/pdb/gimppdb-utils.h
+++ b/app/pdb/gimppdb-utils.h
@@ -53,8 +53,12 @@ gboolean        gimp_pdb_item_is_attached       (GimpItem           *item,
 gboolean        gimp_pdb_item_is_floating       (GimpItem           *item,
                                                  GimpImage          *dest_image,
                                                  GError            **error);
+gboolean        gimp_pdb_item_is_writable       (GimpItem           *item,
+                                                 GError            **error);
+
 gboolean        gimp_pdb_layer_is_text_layer    (GimpLayer          *layer,
                                                  GError            **error);
+
 gboolean        gimp_pdb_image_is_base_type     (GimpImage          *image,
                                                  GimpImageBaseType   type,
                                                  GError            **error);