diff --git a/daemon/available.c b/daemon/available.c
index d0322bc97..7a8ede0d1 100644
--- a/daemon/available.c
+++ b/daemon/available.c
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
 GUESTFSD_EXT_CMD(str_grep, grep);
 GUESTFSD_EXT_CMD(str_modprobe, modprobe);
 
-int
-do_available (char *const *groups)
+static int
+available (char *const *groups, int error_on_unavailable)
 {
   int av;
   size_t i, j;
@@ -44,8 +44,12 @@ do_available (char *const *groups)
       if (STREQ (groups[i], optgroups[j].group)) {
         av = optgroups[j].available ();
         if (!av) {
-          reply_with_error ("%s: group not available", optgroups[j].group);
-          return -1;
+          if (error_on_unavailable) {
+            reply_with_error ("%s: group not available", optgroups[j].group);
+            return -1;
+          }
+          else
+            return 0;
         }
         break; /* out of for (j) loop */
       }
@@ -58,6 +62,23 @@ do_available (char *const *groups)
     }
   }
 
+  /* All specified groups available. */
+  return 1;
+}
+
+int
+do_feature_available (char *const *groups)
+{
+  return available (groups, 0);
+}
+
+int
+do_available (char *const *groups)
+{
+  if (available (groups, 1) == -1)
+    return -1;
+
+  /* No error, so all groups available, just returns no error. */
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/edit/virt-edit.c b/edit/virt-edit.c
index 60824d15e..d75cd85a5 100644
--- a/edit/virt-edit.c
+++ b/edit/virt-edit.c
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ static void edit (const char *filename, const char *root);
 static char *edit_interactively (const char *tmpfile);
 static char *edit_non_interactively (const char *tmpfile);
 static int copy_attributes (const char *src, const char *dest);
-static int feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature);
 static int is_windows (guestfs_h *g, const char *root);
 static char *windows_path (guestfs_h *g, const char *root, const char *filename);
 static char *generate_random_name (const char *filename);
@@ -513,11 +512,12 @@ static int
 copy_attributes (const char *src, const char *dest)
 {
   CLEANUP_FREE_STAT struct guestfs_stat *stat = NULL;
+  const char *linuxxattrs[] = { "linuxxattrs", NULL };
   int has_linuxxattrs;
   CLEANUP_FREE char *selinux_context = NULL;
   size_t selinux_context_size;
 
-  has_linuxxattrs = feature_available (g, "linuxxattrs");
+  has_linuxxattrs = guestfs_feature_available (g, (char **) linuxxattrs);
 
   /* Get the mode. */
   stat = guestfs_stat (g, src);
@@ -553,22 +553,6 @@ copy_attributes (const char *src, const char *dest)
   return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature)
-{
-  /* If there's an error we should ignore it, so to do that we have to
-   * temporarily replace the error handler with a null one.
-   */
-  guestfs_push_error_handler (g, NULL, NULL);
-
-  const char *groups[] = { feature, NULL };
-  int r = guestfs_available (g, (char * const *) groups);
-
-  guestfs_pop_error_handler (g);
-
-  return r == 0 ? 1 : 0;
-}
-
 static int
 is_windows (guestfs_h *g, const char *root)
 {
diff --git a/fish/edit.c b/fish/edit.c
index 05a272b77..217852517 100644
--- a/fish/edit.c
+++ b/fish/edit.c
@@ -182,11 +182,12 @@ static int
 copy_attributes (const char *src, const char *dest)
 {
   struct guestfs_stat *stat;
+  const char *linuxxattrs[] = { "linuxxattrs", NULL };
   int has_linuxxattrs;
   CLEANUP_FREE char *selinux_context = NULL;
   size_t selinux_context_size;
 
-  has_linuxxattrs = feature_available (g, "linuxxattrs");
+  has_linuxxattrs = guestfs_feature_available (g, (char **) linuxxattrs);
 
   /* Get the mode. */
   stat = guestfs_stat (g, src);
diff --git a/fish/fish.c b/fish/fish.c
index db06734ca..2651012a3 100644
--- a/fish/fish.c
+++ b/fish/fish.c
@@ -1921,19 +1921,3 @@ progress_callback (guestfs_h *g, void *data,
 
   progress_bar_set (bar, position, total);
 }
-
-int
-feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature)
-{
-  /* If there's an error we should ignore it, so to do that we have to
-   * temporarily replace the error handler with a null one.
-   */
-  guestfs_push_error_handler (g, NULL, NULL);
-
-  const char *groups[] = { feature, NULL };
-  int r = guestfs_available (g, (char * const *) groups);
-
-  guestfs_pop_error_handler (g);
-
-  return r == 0 ? 1 : 0;
-}
diff --git a/fish/fish.h b/fish/fish.h
index 908697925..df22e34e7 100644
--- a/fish/fish.h
+++ b/fish/fish.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ extern void free_file_in (char *s);
 extern char *file_out (const char *arg);
 extern void extended_help_message (void);
 extern void progress_callback (guestfs_h *g, void *data, uint64_t event, int event_handle, int flags, const char *buf, size_t buf_len, const uint64_t *array, size_t array_len);
-extern int feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature);
 
 /* in cmds.c (auto-generated) */
 extern void list_commands (void);
diff --git a/fish/glob.c b/fish/glob.c
index 62b5ef8c2..baaef5ab8 100644
--- a/fish/glob.c
+++ b/fish/glob.c
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ expand_devicename (guestfs_h *g, const char *device)
   char **pp = NULL;
   char **ret = NULL;
   size_t size = 0;
+  const char *lvm2[] = { "lvm2", NULL };
 
   pp = guestfs_list_devices (g);
   if (pp == NULL) goto error;
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ expand_devicename (guestfs_h *g, const char *device)
   if (add_strings_matching (pp, device, &ret, &size) == -1) goto error;
   guestfs___free_string_list (pp);
 
-  if (feature_available (g, "lvm2")) {
+  if (guestfs_feature_available (g, (char **) lvm2)) {
     pp = guestfs_lvs (g);
     if (pp == NULL) goto error;
     if (add_strings_matching (pp, device, &ret, &size) == -1) goto error;
diff --git a/format/format.c b/format/format.c
index 8c641f162..842adee0b 100644
--- a/format/format.c
+++ b/format/format.c
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ static int have_wipefs;
 static void parse_vg_lv (const char *lvm);
 static int do_format (void);
 static int do_rescan (char **devices);
-static int feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature);
 
 static void __attribute__((noreturn))
 usage (int status)
@@ -234,6 +233,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
    * to completely restart the guest.  Hence this complex retry logic.
    */
   for (retries = 0; retries <= 1; ++retries) {
+    const char *wipefs[] = { "wipefs", NULL };
+
     /* Add domains/drives from the command line (for a single guest). */
     add_drives (drvs, 'a');
 
@@ -241,7 +242,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
       exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
 
     /* Test if the wipefs API is available. */
-    have_wipefs = feature_available (g, "wipefs");
+    have_wipefs = guestfs_feature_available (g, (char **) wipefs);
 
     /* Perform the format. */
     retry = do_format ();
@@ -431,19 +432,3 @@ do_rescan (char **devices)
 
   return errors ? 1 : 0;
 }
-
-static int
-feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature)
-{
-  /* If there's an error we should ignore it, so to do that we have to
-   * temporarily replace the error handler with a null one.
-   */
-  guestfs_push_error_handler (g, NULL, NULL);
-
-  const char *groups[] = { feature, NULL };
-  int r = guestfs_available (g, (char * const *) groups);
-
-  guestfs_pop_error_handler (g);
-
-  return r == 0 ? 1 : 0;
-}
diff --git a/generator/actions.ml b/generator/actions.ml
index daf6c6210..3b03a6bde 100644
--- a/generator/actions.ml
+++ b/generator/actions.ml
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ I<Note:> Don't use this call to test for availability
 of features.  In enterprise distributions we backport
 features from later versions into earlier versions,
 making this an unreliable way to test for features.
-Use C<guestfs_available> instead." };
+Use C<guestfs_available> or C<guestfs_feature_available> instead." };
 
   { defaults with
     name = "set_selinux";
@@ -7375,6 +7375,12 @@ I<Notes:>
 
 =item *
 
+C<guestfs_feature_available> is the same as this call, but
+with a slightly simpler to use API: that call returns a boolean
+true/false instead of throwing an error.
+
+=item *
+
 You must call C<guestfs_launch> before calling this function.
 
 The reason is because we don't know what groups are
@@ -7949,10 +7955,11 @@ allows you to specify the new size (in bytes) explicitly." };
 This command returns a list of all optional groups that this
 daemon knows about.  Note this returns both supported and unsupported
 groups.  To find out which ones the daemon can actually support
-you have to call C<guestfs_available> on each member of the
-returned list.
+you have to call C<guestfs_available> / C<guestfs_feature_available>
+on each member of the returned list.
 
-See also C<guestfs_available> and L<guestfs(3)/AVAILABILITY>." };
+See also C<guestfs_available>, C<guestfs_feature_available>
+and L<guestfs(3)/AVAILABILITY>." };
 
   { defaults with
     name = "fallocate64";
@@ -9798,7 +9805,8 @@ it doesn't mean that a particular filesystem can be mounted,
 since filesystems can fail for other reasons such as it being
 a later version of the filesystem, or having incompatible features.
 
-See also C<guestfs_available>, L<guestfs(3)/AVAILABILITY>." };
+See also C<guestfs_available>, C<guestfs_feature_available>,
+L<guestfs(3)/AVAILABILITY>." };
 
   { defaults with
     name = "fstrim";
@@ -10903,6 +10911,20 @@ Parse a mountable string." };
 This is only used to debug RHBZ#914931.  Note that this
 deliberately crashes guestfsd." };
 
+  { defaults with
+    name = "feature_available";
+    style = RBool "isavailable", [StringList "groups"], [];
+    proc_nr = Some 398;
+    tests = [
+      InitNone, Always, TestOutputTrue [["feature_available"; ""]]
+    ];
+    shortdesc = "test availability of some parts of the API";
+    longdesc = "\
+This is the same as C<guestfs_available>, but unlike that
+call it returns a simple true/false boolean result, instead
+of throwing an exception if a feature is not found.  For
+other documentation see C<guestfs_available>." };
+
 ]
 
 (* Non-API meta-commands available only in guestfish.
diff --git a/generator/perl.ml b/generator/perl.ml
index 38e5c6502..707da70e5 100644
--- a/generator/perl.ml
+++ b/generator/perl.ml
@@ -1037,15 +1037,10 @@ containing useful introspection information about the method
   }
 
 To test if particular features are supported by the current
-build, use the L</available> method like the example below.  Note
+build, use the L</feature_available> method like the example below.  Note
 that the appliance must be launched first.
 
- $g->available ( [\"augeas\"] );
-
-Since the L</available> method croaks if the feature is not supported,
-you might also want to wrap this in an eval and return a boolean.
-In fact this has already been done for you: use
-L<Sys::Guestfs::Lib(3)/feature_available>.
+ $g->feature_available ( [\"augeas\"] );
 
 For further discussion on this topic, refer to
 L<guestfs(3)/AVAILABILITY>.
diff --git a/resize/common_utils.ml b/resize/common_utils.ml
index 3861c71c5..0f71810a8 100644
--- a/resize/common_utils.ml
+++ b/resize/common_utils.ml
@@ -143,10 +143,6 @@ let error fs =
   in
   ksprintf display fs
 
-let feature_available (g : Guestfs.guestfs) names =
-  try g#available names; true
-  with G.Error _ -> false
-
 let read_whole_file path =
   let buf = Buffer.create 16384 in
   let chan = open_in path in
diff --git a/resize/resize.ml b/resize/resize.ml
index 74a5a47e1..d78630341 100644
--- a/resize/resize.ml
+++ b/resize/resize.ml
@@ -177,9 +177,9 @@ read the man page virt-resize(1).
     let g = new G.guestfs () in
     g#add_drive "/dev/null";
     g#launch ();
-    if feature_available g [| "ntfsprogs"; "ntfs3g" |] then
+    if g#feature_available [| "ntfsprogs"; "ntfs3g" |] then
       printf "ntfs\n";
-    if feature_available g [| "btrfs" |] then
+    if g#feature_available [| "btrfs" |] then
       printf "btrfs\n";
     exit 0
   );
@@ -222,8 +222,8 @@ let connect_both_disks () =
   g#lvm_set_filter [|"/dev/sda"|];
 
   (* Update features available in the daemon. *)
-  ntfs_available := feature_available g [|"ntfsprogs"; "ntfs3g"|];
-  btrfs_available := feature_available g [|"btrfs"|];
+  ntfs_available := g#feature_available [|"ntfsprogs"; "ntfs3g"|];
+  btrfs_available := g#feature_available [|"btrfs"|];
 
   g
 
diff --git a/sparsify/sparsify.ml b/sparsify/sparsify.ml
index e653deda9..819a14576 100644
--- a/sparsify/sparsify.ml
+++ b/sparsify/sparsify.ml
@@ -112,9 +112,9 @@ read the man page virt-sparsify(1).
     let g = new G.guestfs () in
     g#add_drive "/dev/null";
     g#launch ();
-    if feature_available g [| "ntfsprogs"; "ntfs3g" |] then
+    if g#feature_available [| "ntfsprogs"; "ntfs3g" |] then
       printf "ntfs\n";
-    if feature_available g [| "btrfs" |] then
+    if g#feature_available [| "btrfs" |] then
       printf "btrfs\n";
     exit 0
   );
diff --git a/src/MAX_PROC_NR b/src/MAX_PROC_NR
index 8b84f5708..7ea3cf600 100644
--- a/src/MAX_PROC_NR
+++ b/src/MAX_PROC_NR
@@ -1 +1 @@
-397
+398
diff --git a/src/guestfs-internal.h b/src/guestfs-internal.h
index f86082446..34d3bd78e 100644
--- a/src/guestfs-internal.h
+++ b/src/guestfs-internal.h
@@ -630,7 +630,6 @@ extern char *guestfs___drive_name (size_t index, char *ret);
 
 /* inspect.c */
 extern void guestfs___free_inspect_info (guestfs_h *g);
-extern int guestfs___feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature);
 extern char *guestfs___download_to_tmp (guestfs_h *g, struct inspect_fs *fs, const char *filename, const char *basename, uint64_t max_size);
 extern struct inspect_fs *guestfs___search_for_root (guestfs_h *g, const char *root);
 
diff --git a/src/inspect.c b/src/inspect.c
index db0934974..157370f7c 100644
--- a/src/inspect.c
+++ b/src/inspect.c
@@ -515,23 +515,6 @@ guestfs___free_inspect_info (guestfs_h *g)
   g->fses = NULL;
 }
 
-/* In the Perl code this is a public function. */
-int
-guestfs___feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature)
-{
-  const char *groups[] = { feature, NULL };
-  int r;
-
-  /* If there's an error we should ignore it, so to do that we have to
-   * temporarily replace the error handler with a null one.
-   */
-  guestfs_push_error_handler (g, NULL, NULL);
-  r = guestfs_available (g, (char * const *) groups);
-  guestfs_pop_error_handler (g);
-
-  return r == 0 ? 1 : 0;
-}
-
 /* Download a guest file to a local temporary file.  The file is
  * cached in the temporary directory, and is not downloaded again.
  *
diff --git a/src/listfs.c b/src/listfs.c
index 024e7a090..eb4019deb 100644
--- a/src/listfs.c
+++ b/src/listfs.c
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ guestfs__list_filesystems (guestfs_h *g)
   size_t i;
   char **ret = NULL;
   size_t ret_size = 0;
+  const char *lvm2[] = { "lvm2", NULL };
+  const char *ldm[] = { "ldm", NULL };
 
   CLEANUP_FREE_STRING_LIST char **devices = NULL;
   CLEANUP_FREE_STRING_LIST char **partitions = NULL;
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ guestfs__list_filesystems (guestfs_h *g)
   for (i = 0; mds[i] != NULL; ++i)
     check_with_vfs_type (g, mds[i], &ret, &ret_size);
 
-  if (guestfs___feature_available (g, "lvm2")) {
+  if (guestfs_feature_available (g, (char **) lvm2)) {
     /* Use vfs-type to check for filesystems on LVs. */
     lvs = guestfs_lvs (g);
     if (lvs == NULL) goto error;
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ guestfs__list_filesystems (guestfs_h *g)
       check_with_vfs_type (g, lvs[i], &ret, &ret_size);
   }
 
-  if (guestfs___feature_available (g, "ldm")) {
+  if (guestfs_feature_available (g, (char **) ldm)) {
     /* Use vfs-type to check for filesystems on Windows dynamic disks. */
     ldmvols = guestfs_list_ldm_volumes (g);
     if (ldmvols == NULL) goto error;
diff --git a/tests/btrfs/test-btrfs-subvolume-default.pl b/tests/btrfs/test-btrfs-subvolume-default.pl
index b95571393..85b150506 100755
--- a/tests/btrfs/test-btrfs-subvolume-default.pl
+++ b/tests/btrfs/test-btrfs-subvolume-default.pl
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ use strict;
 use warnings;
 
 use Sys::Guestfs;
-use Sys::Guestfs::Lib qw(feature_available);
 
 # Allow the test to be skipped since btrfs is often broken.
 exit 77 if $ENV{SKIP_TEST_BTRFS_SUBVOLUME_DEFAULT_PL};
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ $g->add_drive ($testimg, format => "raw");
 $g->launch ();
 
 # If btrfs is not available, bail.
-unless (feature_available ($g, "btrfs")) {
+unless ($g->feature_available (["btrfs"])) {
     warn "$0: skipping test because btrfs is not available\n";
     exit 77;
 }
diff --git a/tests/charsets/test-charset-fidelity.c b/tests/charsets/test-charset-fidelity.c
index c3a476e4e..a5a4f5dfa 100644
--- a/tests/charsets/test-charset-fidelity.c
+++ b/tests/charsets/test-charset-fidelity.c
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ static void test_latin1 (guestfs_h *g, const struct filesystem *fs);
 static void test_latin2 (guestfs_h *g, const struct filesystem *fs);
 static void test_chinese (guestfs_h *g, const struct filesystem *fs);
 static void ignore_lost_and_found (char **);
-static int feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature);
 
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -126,7 +125,9 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 static void
 test_filesystem (guestfs_h *g, const struct filesystem *fs)
 {
-  if (fs->fs_feature && !feature_available (g, fs->fs_feature)) {
+  const char *feature[] = { fs->fs_feature, NULL };
+
+  if (fs->fs_feature && !guestfs_feature_available (g, (char **) feature)) {
     printf ("skipped test of %s because %s feature not available\n",
             fs->fs_name, fs->fs_feature);
     return;
@@ -427,19 +428,3 @@ ignore_lost_and_found (char **files)
   }
   files[j] = NULL;
 }
-
-static int
-feature_available (guestfs_h *g, const char *feature)
-{
-  /* If there's an error we should ignore it, so to do that we have to
-   * temporarily replace the error handler with a null one.
-   */
-  guestfs_push_error_handler (g, NULL, NULL);
-
-  const char *groups[] = { feature, NULL };
-  int r = guestfs_available (g, (char * const *) groups);
-
-  guestfs_pop_error_handler (g);
-
-  return r == 0 ? 1 : 0;
-}
diff --git a/tests/selinux/run-test.pl b/tests/selinux/run-test.pl
index f55b1fbf1..980eedf83 100755
--- a/tests/selinux/run-test.pl
+++ b/tests/selinux/run-test.pl
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ use strict;
 use warnings;
 
 use Sys::Guestfs;
-use Sys::Guestfs::Lib qw(feature_available);
 
 # These are two SELinux labels that we assume everyone is allowed to
 # set under any policy.
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ close FILE or die "$testimg: $!";
 $g->add_drive ($testimg, format => "raw");
 $g->launch ();
 
-unless (feature_available ($g, "linuxxattrs")) {
+unless ($g->feature_available (["linuxxattrs"])) {
     print "$prog $test_type $test_via: test skipped because 'linuxxattrs' feature not available.\n";
     $g->close ();
     unlink $testimg;
diff --git a/tools/test-virt-make-fs.sh b/tools/test-virt-make-fs.sh
index 316d959b1..af73f63a7 100755
--- a/tools/test-virt-make-fs.sh
+++ b/tools/test-virt-make-fs.sh
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ set -e
 
 # Check which filesystems are supported by the appliance.
 eval $(
-perl -MSys::Guestfs '-MSys::Guestfs::Lib qw(feature_available)' -e '
+perl -MSys::Guestfs -e '
   $g = Sys::Guestfs->new();
   $g->add_drive ("/dev/null");
   $g->launch ();
-  feature_available ($g, "ntfs3g") and print "ntfs3g_available=yes\n";
-  feature_available ($g, "ntfsprogs") and print "ntfsprogs_available=yes\n";
-  feature_available ($g, "btrfs") and print "btrfs_available=yes\n";
+  $g->feature_available (["ntfs3g"]) and print "ntfs3g_available=yes\n";
+  $g->feature_available (["ntfsprogs"]) and print "ntfsprogs_available=yes\n";
+  $g->feature_available (["btrfs"]) and print "btrfs_available=yes\n";
 ')
 
 # Allow btrfs to be disabled when btrfs is broken (eg. RHBZ#863978).
diff --git a/tools/virt-make-fs b/tools/virt-make-fs
index a8cf56bc9..d29e7df4c 100755
--- a/tools/virt-make-fs
+++ b/tools/virt-make-fs
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ use warnings;
 use strict;
 
 use Sys::Guestfs;
-use Sys::Guestfs::Lib qw(feature_available);
 
 use Pod::Usage;
 use Getopt::Long;
@@ -457,7 +456,7 @@ eval {
     $g->add_drive ($output, format => $format);
     $g->launch ();
 
-    if ($type eq "ntfs" && !feature_available ($g, "ntfs3g", "ntfsprogs")) {
+    if ($type eq "ntfs" && !$g->feature_available (["ntfs3g", "ntfsprogs"])) {
         die __"virt-make-fs: NTFS support was disabled when libguestfs was compiled\n"
     }