diff --git a/src/library/util.cpp b/src/library/util.cpp
index 36478d064..1c2927b26 100644
--- a/src/library/util.cpp
+++ b/src/library/util.cpp
@@ -580,6 +580,20 @@ bool is_eq_rec_core(expr const & e) {
     return is_constant(fn) && const_name(fn) == get_eq_rec_name();
 }
 
+bool is_eq_rec(environment const & env, expr const & e) {
+    expr const & fn = get_app_fn(e);
+    if (!is_constant(fn))
+        return false;
+    return is_standard(env) ? const_name(fn) == get_eq_rec_name() : const_name(fn) == get_eq_nrec_name();
+}
+
+bool is_eq_drec(environment const & env, expr const & e) {
+    expr const & fn = get_app_fn(e);
+    if (!is_constant(fn))
+        return false;
+    return is_standard(env) ? const_name(fn) == get_eq_drec_name() : const_name(fn) == get_eq_rec_name();
+}
+
 bool is_eq(expr const & e) {
     expr const & fn = get_app_fn(e);
     return is_constant(fn) && const_name(fn) == get_eq_name();
diff --git a/src/library/util.h b/src/library/util.h
index 37ea8af4c..a0fc233ef 100644
--- a/src/library/util.h
+++ b/src/library/util.h
@@ -162,6 +162,12 @@ expr mk_subsingleton_elim(type_checker & tc, expr const & h, expr const & x, exp
 
 /** \brief Return true iff \c e is a term of the form (eq.rec ....) */
 bool is_eq_rec_core(expr const & e);
+/** \brief Return true iff \c e is a term of the form (eq.rec ....) in the standard library,
+    and (eq.nrec ...) in the HoTT library. */
+bool is_eq_rec(environment const & env, expr const & e);
+/** \brief Return true iff \c e is a term of the form (eq.drec ....) in the standard library,
+    and (eq.rec ...) in the HoTT library. */
+bool is_eq_drec(environment const & env, expr const & e);
 
 bool is_eq(expr const & e);
 bool is_eq(expr const & e, expr & lhs, expr & rhs);