diff --git a/src/ol/color.js b/src/ol/color.js
index b48f149e90..e523d94336 100644
--- a/src/ol/color.js
+++ b/src/ol/color.js
@@ -223,3 +223,14 @@ export function toString(color) {
   const a = color[3] === undefined ? 1 : color[3];
   return 'rgba(' + r + ',' + g + ',' + b + ',' + a + ')';
 }
+
+/**
+ * @param {string} s String.
+ * @return {boolean} Whether the string is actually a valid color
+ */
+export function isStringColor(s) {
+  if (NAMED_COLOR_RE_.test(s)) {
+    s = fromNamed(s);
+  }
+  return HEX_COLOR_RE_.test(s) || s.indexOf('rgba(') === 0 || s.indexOf('rgb(') === 0;
+}
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/color.test.js b/test/spec/ol/color.test.js
index b230e289ad..a4099e747d 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/color.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/color.test.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import {
   asArray,
   asString,
   fromString,
+  isStringColor,
   normalize,
   toString
 } from '../../../src/ol/color.js';
@@ -159,4 +160,18 @@ describe('ol.color', function() {
     });
 
   });
+
+  describe('isValid()', function() {
+
+    it('correctly detects valid colors', function() {
+      expect(isStringColor('rgba(1,3,4,0.4)')).to.be(true);
+      expect(isStringColor('rgb(1,3,4)')).to.be(true);
+      expect(isStringColor('lightgreen')).to.be(true);
+      expect(isStringColor('yellow')).to.be(true);
+      expect(isStringColor('GREEN')).to.be(true);
+      expect(isStringColor('notacolor')).to.be(false);
+      expect(isStringColor('red_')).to.be(false);
+    });
+
+  });
 });