diff --git a/blobmsg.c b/blobmsg.c
index f317152..a2c2c5d 100644
--- a/blobmsg.c
+++ b/blobmsg.c
@@ -62,11 +62,12 @@ bool blobmsg_check_attr(const struct blob_attr *attr, bool name)
 	return blob_check_type(data, len, blob_type[id]);
 }
 
-bool blobmsg_check_attr_list(const struct blob_attr *attr, int type)
+int blobmsg_check_array(const struct blob_attr *attr, int type)
 {
 	struct blob_attr *cur;
 	bool name;
 	int rem;
+	int size = 0;
 
 	switch (blobmsg_type(attr)) {
 	case BLOBMSG_TYPE_TABLE:
@@ -76,18 +77,25 @@ bool blobmsg_check_attr_list(const struct blob_attr *attr, int type)
 		name = false;
 		break;
 	default:
-		return false;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	blobmsg_for_each_attr(cur, attr, rem) {
-		if (blobmsg_type(cur) != type)
-			return false;
+		if (type != BLOBMSG_TYPE_UNSPEC && blobmsg_type(cur) != type)
+			return -1;
 
 		if (!blobmsg_check_attr(cur, name))
-			return false;
+			return -1;
+
+		size++;
 	}
 
-	return true;
+	return size;
+}
+
+bool blobmsg_check_attr_list(const struct blob_attr *attr, int type)
+{
+	return blobmsg_check_array(attr, type) >= 0;
 }
 
 int blobmsg_parse_array(const struct blobmsg_policy *policy, int policy_len,
diff --git a/blobmsg.h b/blobmsg.h
index d8f1045..082980a 100644
--- a/blobmsg.h
+++ b/blobmsg.h
@@ -90,6 +90,15 @@ static inline int blobmsg_len(const struct blob_attr *attr)
 
 bool blobmsg_check_attr(const struct blob_attr *attr, bool name);
 bool blobmsg_check_attr_list(const struct blob_attr *attr, int type);
+
+/*
+ * blobmsg_check_array: validate array/table and return size
+ *
+ * Checks if all elements of an array or table are valid and have
+ * the specified type. Returns the number of elements in the array
+ */
+int blobmsg_check_array(const struct blob_attr *attr, int type);
+
 int blobmsg_parse(const struct blobmsg_policy *policy, int policy_len,
                   struct blob_attr **tb, void *data, unsigned int len);
 int blobmsg_parse_array(const struct blobmsg_policy *policy, int policy_len,