diff --git a/src/lib/utils.jl b/src/lib/utils.jl
index 5d4634814..e51ff2d3c 100644
--- a/src/lib/utils.jl
+++ b/src/lib/utils.jl
@@ -111,3 +111,29 @@ a real.
      1  0
 """
 hessian(f, x::AbstractArray) = forward_jacobian(x -> gradient(f, x)[1], x)[2]
+
+"""
+   isderiving()
+   isderiving(x)
+
+Check whether the current function call is happening while taking the derivative.
+
+
+    julia> function f(x)
+             @show isderiving()
+           end
+    
+    f (generic function with 1 method)
+    
+    julia> f(3)
+    isderiving() = false
+    false
+    
+    julia> gradient(f, 4)
+    isderiving() = true
+    (nothing,)
+"""
+isderiving() = false
+isderiving(x) = false
+@adjoint isderiving() = true, _ -> nothing
+@adjoint isderiving(x) = true, x -> (nothing,)
diff --git a/test/tools.jl b/test/tools.jl
index 921b8a56f..717612284 100644
--- a/test/tools.jl
+++ b/test/tools.jl
@@ -22,4 +22,43 @@
   deleteat!(buff, 1)
   @test length(buff) == 1
   @test buff[1] === c
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
+
+@testset "isderiving" begin
+
+  function f(x)
+    if Zygote.isderiving(x)
+      x^2
+    else
+      2x^2
+    end
+  end
+
+  # Test higher order derivatives
+  gs = gradient(4) do x
+    gradient(x) do y
+      f(y)
+    end[1]
+  end
+
+  @test gs == (2,)
+
+  struct Tester
+    cpu_offload::Float64
+  end
+
+  function Tester(p)
+      @show Zygote.isderiving(p)
+      cpu_offload = Zygote.isderiving(p) ? 0.0 : 0.2
+      Tester(cpu_offload)
+  end
+
+  function f(p)
+    sum(Tester(p).cpu_offload .* p)
+  end
+
+  p = [1.0]
+  gs = gradient(f, p)
+  @test gs[1] == [0.]
+
+end