diff --git a/lib/blockchain/chain.js b/lib/blockchain/chain.js
index 79d87785..9e538f6e 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain/chain.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain/chain.js
@@ -242,6 +242,49 @@ Chain.prototype.verifyContext = co(function* verifyContext(block, prev) {
   return new ContextResult(view, state);
 });
 
+/**
+ * Perform all necessary contextual verification
+ * on a block, without POW check.
+ * @method
+ * @param {Block} block
+ * @returns {Promise}
+ */
+
+Chain.prototype.verifyBlock = co(function* verifyBlock(block) {
+  var unlock = yield this.locker.lock();
+  try {
+    return yield this._verifyBlock(block);
+  } finally {
+    unlock();
+  }
+});
+
+/**
+ * Perform all necessary contextual verification
+ * on a block, without POW check (no lock).
+ * @method
+ * @private
+ * @param {Block} block
+ * @returns {Promise}
+ */
+
+Chain.prototype._verifyBlock = co(function* verifyBlock(block) {
+  var valid = block._validHeaders;
+  var result;
+
+  if (block.prevBlock !== this.tip.hash)
+    throw new VerifyError(block, 'invalid', 'bad-prevblk', 0);
+
+  try {
+    block._validHeaders = true;
+    result = yield this.verifyContext(block, this.tip);
+  } finally {
+    block._validHeaders = valid;
+  }
+
+  return result;
+});
+
 /**
  * Test whether a block is the genesis block.
  * @param {Block} block
diff --git a/lib/http/rpc.js b/lib/http/rpc.js
index 4a16dc99..45a98717 100644
--- a/lib/http/rpc.js
+++ b/lib/http/rpc.js
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ RPC.prototype.execute = function execute(json) {
       return this.getblocktemplate(json.params);
     case 'submitblock':
       return this.submitblock(json.params);
+    case 'verifyblock':
+      return this.verifyblock(json.params);
 
     case 'setgenerate':
       return this.setgenerate(json.params);
@@ -1953,6 +1955,31 @@ RPC.prototype._hashps = co(function* _hashps(lookup, height) {
   return ps;
 });
 
+RPC.prototype.verifyblock = co(function* verifyblock(args) {
+  var block;
+
+  if (args.help || args.length !== 1)
+    throw new RPCError('verifyblock "block-hex"');
+
+  if (typeof args[0] !== 'string')
+    throw new RPCError('Invalid parameters.');
+
+  if (this.chain.options.spv)
+    throw new RPCError('Cannot verify block in SPV mode.');
+
+  block = Block.fromRaw(args[0], 'hex');
+
+  try {
+    yield this.chain.verifyBlock(block);
+  } catch (e) {
+    if (e.type === 'VerifyError')
+      return e.reason;
+    throw e;
+  }
+
+  return null;
+});
+
 /*
  * Coin generation
  */