diff --git a/docs/reference/gobject/gobject-sections.txt b/docs/reference/gobject/gobject-sections.txt
index bed38e4c5..f8b4c89e7 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gobject/gobject-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/reference/gobject/gobject-sections.txt
@@ -521,6 +521,7 @@ g_param_value_defaults
 g_param_value_validate
 g_param_value_convert
 g_param_values_cmp
+g_param_spec_is_valid_name
 g_param_spec_get_name
 g_param_spec_get_name_quark
 g_param_spec_get_nick
@@ -859,6 +860,7 @@ g_signal_override_class_handler
 g_signal_chain_from_overridden_handler
 g_signal_add_emission_hook
 g_signal_remove_emission_hook
+g_signal_is_valid_name
 g_signal_parse_name
 g_signal_get_invocation_hint
 g_signal_type_cclosure_new
diff --git a/gobject/gparam.c b/gobject/gparam.c
index b336125e4..82199478c 100644
--- a/gobject/gparam.c
+++ b/gobject/gparam.c
@@ -381,20 +381,34 @@ is_canonical (const gchar *key)
   return (strchr (key, '_') == NULL);
 }
 
-static gboolean
-is_valid_property_name (const gchar *key)
+/**
+ * g_param_spec_is_valid_name:
+ * @name: the canonical name of the property
+ *
+ * Validate a property name for a #GParamSpec. This can be useful for
+ * dynamically-generated properties which need to be validated at run-time
+ * before actually trying to create them.
+ *
+ * See [canonical parameter names][canonical-parameter-names] for details of
+ * the rules for valid names.
+ *
+ * Returns: %TRUE if @name is a valid property name, %FALSE otherwise.
+ * Since: 2.66
+ */
+gboolean
+g_param_spec_is_valid_name (const gchar *name)
 {
   const gchar *p;
 
   /* First character must be a letter. */
-  if ((key[0] < 'A' || key[0] > 'Z') &&
-      (key[0] < 'a' || key[0] > 'z'))
+  if ((name[0] < 'A' || name[0] > 'Z') &&
+      (name[0] < 'a' || name[0] > 'z'))
     return FALSE;
 
-  for (p = key; *p != 0; p++)
+  for (p = name; *p != 0; p++)
     {
       const gchar c = *p;
-      
+
       if (c != '-' && c != '_' &&
           (c < '0' || c > '9') &&
           (c < 'A' || c > 'Z') &&
@@ -439,7 +453,7 @@ g_param_spec_internal (GType        param_type,
   
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_TYPE_IS_PARAM (param_type) && param_type != G_TYPE_PARAM, NULL);
   g_return_val_if_fail (name != NULL, NULL);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (is_valid_property_name (name), NULL);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (g_param_spec_is_valid_name (name), NULL);
   g_return_val_if_fail (!(flags & G_PARAM_STATIC_NAME) || is_canonical (name), NULL);
   
   pspec = (gpointer) g_type_create_instance (param_type);
diff --git a/gobject/gparam.h b/gobject/gparam.h
index b6a554653..7294ed515 100644
--- a/gobject/gparam.h
+++ b/gobject/gparam.h
@@ -395,6 +395,9 @@ GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 GType	g_param_type_register_static	(const gchar		  *name,
 					 const GParamSpecTypeInfo *pspec_info);
 
+GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_2_66
+gboolean g_param_spec_is_valid_name    (const gchar              *name);
+
 /* For registering builting types */
 GType  _g_param_type_register_static_constant (const gchar              *name,
 					       const GParamSpecTypeInfo *pspec_info,
diff --git a/gobject/gsignal.c b/gobject/gsignal.c
index 2b6b0d05b..64603c291 100644
--- a/gobject/gsignal.c
+++ b/gobject/gsignal.c
@@ -367,33 +367,29 @@ is_canonical (const gchar *key)
   return (strchr (key, '_') == NULL);
 }
 
-static gboolean
-is_valid_signal_name (const gchar *key)
+/**
+ * g_signal_is_valid_name:
+ * @name: the canonical name of the signal
+ *
+ * Validate a signal name. This can be useful for dynamically-generated signals
+ * which need to be validated at run-time before actually trying to create them.
+ *
+ * See [canonical parameter names][canonical-parameter-names] for details of
+ * the rules for valid names. The rules for signal names are the same as those
+ * for property names.
+ *
+ * Returns: %TRUE if @name is a valid signal name, %FALSE otherwise.
+ * Since: 2.66
+ */
+gboolean
+g_signal_is_valid_name (const gchar *name)
 {
-  const gchar *p;
-
   /* FIXME: We allow this, against our own documentation (the leading `-` is
    * invalid), because GTK has historically used this. */
-  if (g_str_equal (key, "-gtk-private-changed"))
+  if (g_str_equal (name, "-gtk-private-changed"))
     return TRUE;
 
-  /* First character must be a letter. */
-  if ((key[0] < 'A' || key[0] > 'Z') &&
-      (key[0] < 'a' || key[0] > 'z'))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  for (p = key; *p != 0; p++)
-    {
-      const gchar c = *p;
-
-      if (c != '-' && c != '_' &&
-          (c < '0' || c > '9') &&
-          (c < 'A' || c > 'Z') &&
-          (c < 'a' || c > 'z'))
-        return FALSE;
-    }
-
-  return TRUE;
+  return g_param_spec_is_valid_name (name);
 }
 
 static inline guint
@@ -1325,7 +1321,7 @@ g_signal_lookup (const gchar *name,
       if (!g_type_name (itype))
 	g_warning (G_STRLOC ": unable to look up signal \"%s\" for invalid type id '%"G_GSIZE_FORMAT"'",
 		   name, itype);
-      else if (!is_valid_signal_name (name))
+      else if (!g_signal_is_valid_name (name))
         g_warning (G_STRLOC ": unable to look up invalid signal name \"%s\" on type '%s'",
                    name, g_type_name (itype));
     }
@@ -1712,7 +1708,7 @@ g_signal_newv (const gchar       *signal_name,
   GSignalCVaMarshaller va_marshaller;
   
   g_return_val_if_fail (signal_name != NULL, 0);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (is_valid_signal_name (signal_name), 0);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (g_signal_is_valid_name (signal_name), 0);
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_TYPE_IS_INSTANTIATABLE (itype) || G_TYPE_IS_INTERFACE (itype), 0);
   if (n_params)
     g_return_val_if_fail (param_types != NULL, 0);
diff --git a/gobject/gsignal.h b/gobject/gsignal.h
index 59f94d59a..5cc2b6dfa 100644
--- a/gobject/gsignal.h
+++ b/gobject/gsignal.h
@@ -338,6 +338,8 @@ void                  g_signal_query        (guint               signal_id,
 GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 guint*                g_signal_list_ids     (GType               itype,
 					     guint              *n_ids);
+GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_2_66
+gboolean              g_signal_is_valid_name (const gchar      *name);
 GLIB_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 gboolean	      g_signal_parse_name   (const gchar	*detailed_signal,
 					     GType		 itype,
diff --git a/gobject/tests/param.c b/gobject/tests/param.c
index 93c3f4b94..44faef10c 100644
--- a/gobject/tests/param.c
+++ b/gobject/tests/param.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ test_param_invalid_name (gconstpointer test_data)
 
   g_test_trap_subprocess (NULL, 0, 0);
   g_test_trap_assert_failed ();
-  g_test_trap_assert_stderr ("*CRITICAL*is_valid_property_name (name)*");
+  g_test_trap_assert_stderr ("*CRITICAL*g_param_spec_is_valid_name (name)*");
 }
 
 static void
@@ -846,6 +846,32 @@ test_param_default (void)
   g_param_spec_unref (param);
 }
 
+static void
+test_param_is_valid_name (void)
+{
+  const gchar *valid_names[] =
+    {
+      "property",
+      "i",
+      "multiple-segments",
+      "segment0-SEGMENT1",
+      "using_underscores",
+    };
+  const gchar *invalid_names[] =
+    {
+      "",
+      "7zip",
+      "my_int:hello",
+    };
+  gsize i;
+
+  for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (valid_names); i++)
+    g_assert_true (g_param_spec_is_valid_name (valid_names[i]));
+
+  for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (invalid_names); i++)
+    g_assert_false (g_param_spec_is_valid_name (invalid_names[i]));
+}
+
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -881,6 +907,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
   g_test_add_func ("/value/transform", test_value_transform);
   g_test_add_func ("/param/default", test_param_default);
+  g_test_add_func ("/param/is-valid-name", test_param_is_valid_name);
 
   return g_test_run ();
 }
diff --git a/gobject/tests/signals.c b/gobject/tests/signals.c
index ae8bd9dc2..08b54d0fa 100644
--- a/gobject/tests/signals.c
+++ b/gobject/tests/signals.c
@@ -1449,7 +1449,33 @@ test_signals_invalid_name (gconstpointer test_data)
 
   g_test_trap_subprocess (NULL, 0, 0);
   g_test_trap_assert_failed ();
-  g_test_trap_assert_stderr ("*CRITICAL*is_valid_signal_name (signal_name)*");
+  g_test_trap_assert_stderr ("*CRITICAL*g_signal_is_valid_name (signal_name)*");
+}
+
+static void
+test_signal_is_valid_name (void)
+{
+  const gchar *valid_names[] =
+    {
+      "signal",
+      "i",
+      "multiple-segments",
+      "segment0-SEGMENT1",
+      "using_underscores",
+    };
+  const gchar *invalid_names[] =
+    {
+      "",
+      "7zip",
+      "my_int:hello",
+    };
+  gsize i;
+
+  for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (valid_names); i++)
+    g_assert_true (g_signal_is_valid_name (valid_names[i]));
+
+  for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (invalid_names); i++)
+    g_assert_false (g_signal_is_valid_name (invalid_names[i]));
 }
 
 /* --- */
@@ -1485,6 +1511,7 @@ main (int argc,
   g_test_add_data_func ("/gobject/signals/invalid-name/colon", "my_int:hello", test_signals_invalid_name);
   g_test_add_data_func ("/gobject/signals/invalid-name/first-char", "7zip", test_signals_invalid_name);
   g_test_add_data_func ("/gobject/signals/invalid-name/empty", "", test_signals_invalid_name);
+  g_test_add_func ("/gobject/signals/is-valid-name", test_signal_is_valid_name);
 
   return g_test_run ();
 }