diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 422f47b8d..714cd3d22 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 - Cleanly terminate deltachat-rpc-server.
   Also terminate on ctrl-c.
 - Refactorings #4317
-
+- Add JSON-RPC API `can_send()`.
 
 ### Fixes
 - Fix python bindings README documentation on installing the bindings from source.
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/mod.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/mod.rs
index e821a5b68..eac81c312 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/mod.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/mod.rs
@@ -1701,6 +1701,15 @@ impl CommandApi {
         Ok(msg_id)
     }
 
+    /// Checks if messages can be sent to a given chat.
+    async fn can_send(&self, account_id: u32, chat_id: u32) -> Result<bool> {
+        let ctx = self.get_context(account_id).await?;
+        let chat_id = ChatId::new(chat_id);
+        let chat = Chat::load_from_db(&ctx, chat_id).await?;
+        let can_send = chat.can_send(&ctx).await?;
+        Ok(can_send)
+    }
+
     // ---------------------------------------------
     //           functions for the composer
     //    the composer is the message input field
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/chat.py b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/chat.py
index 65063a6f3..a9cfad8ab 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/chat.py
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/chat.py
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ class Chat:
         info = await self._rpc.get_full_chat_by_id(self.account.id, self.id)
         return AttrDict(chat=self, **info)
 
+    async def can_send(self) -> bool:
+        """Return true if messages can be sent to the chat."""
+        return await self._rpc.can_send(self.account.id, self.id)
+
     async def send_message(
         self,
         text: Optional[str] = None,
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/tests/test_something.py b/deltachat-rpc-client/tests/test_something.py
index fc05854d6..ee08791fe 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/tests/test_something.py
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/tests/test_something.py
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@ async def test_chat(acfactory) -> None:
     assert alice_chat_bob != bob_chat_alice
     assert repr(alice_chat_bob)
     await alice_chat_bob.delete()
+    assert not await bob_chat_alice.can_send()
     await bob_chat_alice.accept()
+    assert await bob_chat_alice.can_send()
     await bob_chat_alice.block()
     bob_chat_alice = await snapshot.sender.create_chat()
     await bob_chat_alice.mute()