diff --git a/uECC.c b/uECC.c
index 3f8b0d3..d260e99 100644
--- a/uECC.c
+++ b/uECC.c
@@ -1852,24 +1852,28 @@ void uECC_compress(const uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2], uint8_t p_compressed
     p_compressed[0] = 2 + (p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES * 2 - 1] & 0x01);
 }
 
+/* Computes p_result = x^3 + ax + b. p_result must not overlap x. */
+static void curve_x_side(uECC_word_t * RESTRICT p_result, uECC_word_t * RESTRICT x)
+{
+#if (uECC_CURVE == uECC_secp256k1)
+    vli_modSquare_fast(p_result, x); /* r = x^2 */
+    vli_modMult_fast(p_result, p_result, x); /* r = x^3 */
+    vli_modAdd(p_result, p_result, curve_b, curve_p); /* r = x^3 + b */
+#else
+    uECC_word_t _3[uECC_WORDS] = {3}; /* -a = 3 */
+
+    vli_modSquare_fast(p_result, x); /* r = x^2 */
+    vli_modSub_fast(p_result, p_result, _3); /* r = x^2 - 3 */
+    vli_modMult_fast(p_result, p_result, x); /* r = x^3 - 3x */
+    vli_modAdd(p_result, p_result, curve_b, curve_p); /* r = x^3 - 3x + b */
+#endif
+}
+
 void uECC_decompress(const uint8_t p_compressed[uECC_BYTES+1], uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2])
 {
     EccPoint l_point;
     vli_bytesToNative(l_point.x, p_compressed + 1);
-    
-#if (uECC_CURVE == uECC_secp256k1)
-    vli_modSquare_fast(l_point.y, l_point.x); /* r = x^2 */
-    vli_modMult_fast(l_point.y, l_point.y, l_point.x); /* r = x^3 */
-    vli_modAdd(l_point.y, l_point.y, curve_b, curve_p); /* r = x^3 + b */
-#else
-    uECC_word_t _3[uECC_WORDS] = {3}; /* -a = 3 */
-    
-    vli_modSquare_fast(l_point.y, l_point.x); /* y = x^2 */
-    vli_modSub_fast(l_point.y, l_point.y, _3); /* y = x^2 - 3 */
-    vli_modMult_fast(l_point.y, l_point.y, l_point.x); /* y = x^3 - 3x */
-    vli_modAdd(l_point.y, l_point.y, curve_b, curve_p); /* y = x^3 - 3x + b */
-#endif
-    
+    curve_x_side(l_point.y, l_point.x);
     mod_sqrt(l_point.y);
     
     if((l_point.y[0] & 0x01) != (p_compressed[0] & 0x01))
@@ -1881,6 +1885,34 @@ void uECC_decompress(const uint8_t p_compressed[uECC_BYTES+1], uint8_t p_publicK
     vli_nativeToBytes(p_publicKey + uECC_BYTES, l_point.y);
 }
 
+int uECC_valid_public_key(const uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2])
+{
+    uECC_word_t l_tmp1[uECC_WORDS];
+    uECC_word_t l_tmp2[uECC_WORDS];
+    EccPoint l_public;
+    vli_bytesToNative(l_public.x, p_publicKey);
+    vli_bytesToNative(l_public.y, p_publicKey + uECC_BYTES);
+    
+    // The point at infinity is invalid.
+    if(EccPoint_isZero(&l_public))
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    
+    // x and y must be smaller than p.
+    if(vli_cmp(curve_p, l_public.x) != 1 || vli_cmp(curve_p, l_public.y) != 1)
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    
+    vli_modSquare_fast(l_tmp1, l_public.y); /* tmp1 = y^2 */
+    
+    curve_x_side(l_tmp2, l_public.x); /* tmp2 = x^3 + ax + b */
+    
+    /* Make sure that y^2 == x^3 + ax + b */
+    return (vli_cmp(l_tmp1, l_tmp2) == 0);
+}
+
 /* -------- ECDSA code -------- */
 
 #if (uECC_CURVE == uECC_secp160r1)
diff --git a/uECC.h b/uECC.h
index 06c65e8..2a41772 100644
--- a/uECC.h
+++ b/uECC.h
@@ -110,28 +110,6 @@ Returns 1 if the shared secret was generated successfully, 0 if an error occurre
 */
 int uECC_shared_secret(const uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2], const uint8_t p_privateKey[uECC_BYTES], uint8_t p_secret[uECC_BYTES]);
 
-/* uECC_compress() function.
-Compress a public key.
-
-Inputs:
-    p_publicKey - The public key to compress.
-
-Outputs:
-    p_compressed - Will be filled in with the compressed public key.
-*/
-void uECC_compress(const uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2], uint8_t p_compressed[uECC_BYTES+1]);
-
-/* uECC_decompress() function.
-Decompress a compressed public key.
-
-Inputs:
-    p_compressed - The compressed public key.
-
-Outputs:
-    p_publicKey - Will be filled in with the decompressed public key.
-*/
-void uECC_decompress(const uint8_t p_compressed[uECC_BYTES+1], uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2]);
-
 /* uECC_sign() function.
 Generate an ECDSA signature for a given hash value.
 
@@ -164,6 +142,42 @@ Returns 1 if the signature is valid, 0 if it is invalid.
 */
 int uECC_verify(const uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2], const uint8_t p_hash[uECC_BYTES], const uint8_t p_signature[uECC_BYTES*2]);
 
+/* uECC_compress() function.
+Compress a public key.
+
+Inputs:
+    p_publicKey - The public key to compress.
+
+Outputs:
+    p_compressed - Will be filled in with the compressed public key.
+*/
+void uECC_compress(const uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2], uint8_t p_compressed[uECC_BYTES+1]);
+
+/* uECC_decompress() function.
+Decompress a compressed public key.
+
+Inputs:
+    p_compressed - The compressed public key.
+
+Outputs:
+    p_publicKey - Will be filled in with the decompressed public key.
+*/
+void uECC_decompress(const uint8_t p_compressed[uECC_BYTES+1], uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2]);
+
+/* uECC_valid_public_key() function.
+Check to see if a public key is valid.
+
+Note that you are not required to check for a valid public key before using any other uECC
+functions. However, you may wish to avoid spending CPU time computing a shared secret or
+verifying a signature using an invalid public key.
+
+Inputs:
+    p_publicKey - The public key to check.
+
+Returns 1 if the public key is valid, 0 if it is invalid.
+*/
+int uECC_valid_public_key(const uint8_t p_publicKey[uECC_BYTES*2]);
+
 /* uECC_bytes() function.
 Return the value of uECC_BYTES. Helpful for foreign-interfaces to higher-level languages.