diff --git a/include/ircd/rfc3986.h b/include/ircd/rfc3986.h
index 56bd92824..8e1df212f 100644
--- a/include/ircd/rfc3986.h
+++ b/include/ircd/rfc3986.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ namespace ircd::rfc3986
 
 	void valid_hostname(const string_view &); // name part
 	bool valid_hostname(std::nothrow_t, const string_view &);
+	void valid_literal(const string_view &); // ip4 | ip6
+	bool valid_literal(std::nothrow_t, const string_view &);
 	void valid_domain(const string_view &); // dot delimited hostnames
 	bool valid_domain(std::nothrow_t, const string_view &);
 	void valid_host(const string_view &); // domain | ip4 | ip6
diff --git a/ircd/rfc3986.cc b/ircd/rfc3986.cc
index 39d3d02d5..878c95ada 100644
--- a/ircd/rfc3986.cc
+++ b/ircd/rfc3986.cc
@@ -428,6 +428,38 @@ catch(const qi::expectation_failure<const char *> &e)
 	throw expectation_failure<error>{e};
 }
 
+bool
+ircd::rfc3986::valid_literal(std::nothrow_t,
+                            const string_view &str)
+{
+	static const auto &rule
+	{
+		(parser::ip6_literal >> eoi) |
+		(parser::ip4_literal >> eoi)
+	};
+
+	const char *start(str.data()), *const stop(start + str.size());
+	return qi::parse(start, stop, rule);
+}
+
+void
+ircd::rfc3986::valid_literal(const string_view &str)
+try
+{
+	static const auto &rule
+	{
+		(parser::ip6_literal >> eoi) |
+		(parser::ip4_literal >> eoi)
+	};
+
+	const char *start(str.data()), *const stop(start + str.size());
+	qi::parse(start, stop, eps > rule);
+}
+catch(const qi::expectation_failure<const char *> &e)
+{
+	throw expectation_failure<error>{e};
+}
+
 bool
 ircd::rfc3986::valid_hostname(std::nothrow_t,
                               const string_view &str)