diff --git a/utils/utils-common.ts b/utils/utils-common.ts
index 92d38d4df..0a22f8594 100644
--- a/utils/utils-common.ts
+++ b/utils/utils-common.ts
@@ -62,4 +62,14 @@ export function isFileOrResourcePath(path: string): boolean {
     return path.indexOf("~/") === 0 ||  // relative to AppRoot
         path.indexOf("/") === 0 ||      // absolute path
         path.indexOf(RESOURCE_PREFIX) === 0;    // resource
+}
+
+export function isDataURI(uri: string): boolean {
+    if (!types.isString(uri)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    var firstSegment = uri.trim().split(',')[0];
+
+    return firstSegment && firstSegment.indexOf("data:") === 0 && firstSegment.indexOf('base64') >= 0;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utils/utils.d.ts b/utils/utils.d.ts
index 25a22009d..bf572e0bf 100644
--- a/utils/utils.d.ts
+++ b/utils/utils.d.ts
@@ -140,4 +140,10 @@
      * @param path The path.
      */
     export function isFileOrResourcePath(path: string): boolean
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the specified URI is data URI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_URI_scheme).
+     * @param uri The URI.
+     */
+    export function isDataURI(uri: string): boolean
 }