diff --git a/src/libavrdude.h b/src/libavrdude.h
index 98f3970f..65b5459e 100644
--- a/src/libavrdude.h
+++ b/src/libavrdude.h
@@ -1474,6 +1474,7 @@ int str_casematch(const char *pattern, const char *string);
 int str_matched_by(const char *string, const char *pattern);
 int str_casematched_by(const char *string, const char *pattern);
 int str_is_pattern(const char *str);
+int str_is_in_list(const char *s, const char **l, size_t nl, int (*f)(const char *, const char*));
 char *str_sprintf(const char *fmt, ...)
 #if defined(__GNUC__)           // Ask gcc to check whether format and parameters match
    __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)))
diff --git a/src/strutil.c b/src/strutil.c
index a5c8b01e..41971116 100644
--- a/src/strutil.c
+++ b/src/strutil.c
@@ -228,6 +228,14 @@ int str_is_pattern(const char *str) {
     }
 }
 
+// Is the string s in the list l of strings as matched by f(s, l[i])?
+int str_is_in_list(const char *s, const char **l, size_t nl, int (*f)(const char *, const char*)) {
+  for(size_t i=0; i<nl; i++)
+    if(f(s, l[i]))
+      return 1;
+  return 0;
+}
+
 // Return a mmt_malloc'd string with the sprintf() result
 char *str_sprintf(const char *fmt, ...) {
   int size = 0;