diff --git a/runtime/class_loader_context.cc b/runtime/class_loader_context.cc
index 5dfbfe9..d2a1b7f 100644
--- a/runtime/class_loader_context.cc
+++ b/runtime/class_loader_context.cc
@@ -1217,6 +1217,11 @@
   return results;
 }
 
+bool ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding(const std::string& possible_encoded_class_loader_context) {
+  return ClassLoaderContext::Create(possible_encoded_class_loader_context.c_str()) != nullptr
+      || possible_encoded_class_loader_context == kUnsupportedClassLoaderContextEncoding;
+}
+
 ClassLoaderContext::VerificationResult ClassLoaderContext::VerifyClassLoaderContextMatch(
     const std::string& context_spec,
     bool verify_names,
diff --git a/runtime/class_loader_context.h b/runtime/class_loader_context.h
index 73b8476..42ecd3d 100644
--- a/runtime/class_loader_context.h
+++ b/runtime/class_loader_context.h
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@
   static std::map<std::string, std::string> EncodeClassPathContextsForClassLoader(
       jobject class_loader);
 
+  // Returns whether `encoded_class_loader_context` is a valid encoded ClassLoaderContext or
+  // EncodedUnsupportedClassLoaderContext.
+  static bool IsValidEncoding(const std::string& possible_encoded_class_loader_context);
+
   struct ClassLoaderInfo {
     // The type of this class loader.
     ClassLoaderType type;
diff --git a/runtime/class_loader_context_test.cc b/runtime/class_loader_context_test.cc
index e082c8c..4d7e390 100644
--- a/runtime/class_loader_context_test.cc
+++ b/runtime/class_loader_context_test.cc
@@ -1316,6 +1316,20 @@
       encodings.at(GetTestDexFileName("MultiDex")));
 }
 
+TEST_F(ClassLoaderContextTest, IsValidEncoding) {
+  ASSERT_TRUE(ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding("PCL[]"));
+  ASSERT_TRUE(ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding("PCL[foo.dex]"));
+  ASSERT_TRUE(ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding("PCL[foo.dex];PCL[bar.dex]"));
+  ASSERT_TRUE(ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding("DLC[];PCL[bar.dex]"));
+  ASSERT_TRUE(
+      ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding(
+        ClassLoaderContext::kUnsupportedClassLoaderContextEncoding));
+  ASSERT_FALSE(ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding("not_valid"));
+  ASSERT_FALSE(ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding("[]"));
+  ASSERT_FALSE(ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding("FCL[]"));
+  ASSERT_FALSE(ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding("foo.dex:bar.dex"));
+}
+
 // TODO(calin) add a test which creates the context for a class loader together with dex_elements.
 TEST_F(ClassLoaderContextTest, CreateContextForClassLoader) {
   // The chain is
diff --git a/runtime/native/dalvik_system_VMRuntime.cc b/runtime/native/dalvik_system_VMRuntime.cc
index a4dc042..dbfa2a8 100644
--- a/runtime/native/dalvik_system_VMRuntime.cc
+++ b/runtime/native/dalvik_system_VMRuntime.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "base/enums.h"
 #include "base/sdk_version.h"
 #include "class_linker-inl.h"
+#include "class_loader_context.h"
 #include "common_throws.h"
 #include "debugger.h"
 #include "dex/class_accessor-inl.h"
@@ -767,6 +768,18 @@
   Runtime::Current()->GetClassLinker()->VisitClasses(&visitor);
 }
 
+static jboolean VMRuntime_isValidClassLoaderContext(JNIEnv* env,
+                                                    jclass klass ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                                                    jstring jencoded_class_loader_context) {
+  if (UNLIKELY(jencoded_class_loader_context == nullptr)) {
+    ScopedFastNativeObjectAccess soa(env);
+    ThrowNullPointerException("encoded_class_loader_context == null");
+    return false;
+  }
+  ScopedUtfChars encoded_class_loader_context(env, jencoded_class_loader_context);
+  return ClassLoaderContext::IsValidEncoding(encoded_class_loader_context.c_str());
+}
+
 static JNINativeMethod gMethods[] = {
   FAST_NATIVE_METHOD(VMRuntime, addressOf, "(Ljava/lang/Object;)J"),
   NATIVE_METHOD(VMRuntime, bootClassPath, "()Ljava/lang/String;"),
@@ -818,6 +831,7 @@
   NATIVE_METHOD(VMRuntime, setProcessDataDirectory, "(Ljava/lang/String;)V"),
   NATIVE_METHOD(VMRuntime, bootCompleted, "()V"),
   NATIVE_METHOD(VMRuntime, resetJitCounters, "()V"),
+  NATIVE_METHOD(VMRuntime, isValidClassLoaderContext, "(Ljava/lang/String;)Z"),
 };
 
 void register_dalvik_system_VMRuntime(JNIEnv* env) {