diff --git a/docs/guide/developers.md b/docs/guide/developers.md
index 41b9d053..63f57597 100644
--- a/docs/guide/developers.md
+++ b/docs/guide/developers.md
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ Returns the initial scale bounds of each scale before any zooming or panning too
 
 Returns whether the chart has been zoomed or panned - i.e. whether the initial scale of any axis is different to the one used currently.
 
+### `chart.isZoomingOrPanning(): boolean`
+
+Returns whether the user is currently in the middle of a drag operation or pan operation.
+
 ## Custom Scales
 
 You can extend chartjs-plugin-zoom with support for [custom scales](https://www.chartjs.org/docs/latest/developers/axes.html) by using the zoom plugin's `zoomFunctions`, `zoomRectFunctions`, and `panFunctions` members. These objects are indexed by scale types (scales' `id` members) and give optional handlers for zoom and pan functionality.
diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index 77bd94c5..336fce6e 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -225,3 +225,8 @@ export function isZoomedOrPanned(chart) {
 
   return false;
 }
+
+export function isZoomingOrPanning(chart) {
+  const state = getState(chart);
+  return state.panning || state.dragging;
+}
diff --git a/src/plugin.js b/src/plugin.js
index 0774f207..bd98b347 100644
--- a/src/plugin.js
+++ b/src/plugin.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import Hammer from 'hammerjs';
 import {addListeners, computeDragRect, removeListeners} from './handlers';
 import {startHammer, stopHammer} from './hammer';
-import {pan, zoom, resetZoom, zoomScale, getZoomLevel, getInitialScaleBounds, isZoomedOrPanned, zoomRect} from './core';
+import {pan, zoom, resetZoom, zoomScale, getZoomLevel, getInitialScaleBounds, isZoomedOrPanned, isZoomingOrPanning, zoomRect} from './core';
 import {panFunctions, zoomFunctions, zoomRectFunctions} from './scale.types';
 import {getState, removeState} from './state';
 import {version} from '../package.json';
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@ export default {
     chart.getZoomLevel = () => getZoomLevel(chart);
     chart.getInitialScaleBounds = () => getInitialScaleBounds(chart);
     chart.isZoomedOrPanned = () => isZoomedOrPanned(chart);
+    chart.isZoomingOrPanning = () => isZoomingOrPanning(chart);
   },
 
   beforeEvent(chart) {
-    const state = getState(chart);
-    if (state.panning || state.dragging) {
+    if (isZoomingOrPanning(chart)) {
       // cancel any event handling while panning or dragging
       return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/state.js b/src/state.js
index f0425cd9..274738ab 100644
--- a/src/state.js
+++ b/src/state.js
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ export function getState(chart) {
       originalScaleLimits: {},
       updatedScaleLimits: {},
       handlers: {},
-      panDelta: {}
+      panDelta: {},
+      dragging: false,
+      panning: false
     };
     chartStates.set(chart, state);
   }
diff --git a/test/specs/zoom.spec.js b/test/specs/zoom.spec.js
index add2eb79..6656aa59 100644
--- a/test/specs/zoom.spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/zoom.spec.js
@@ -791,10 +791,19 @@ describe('zoom', function() {
         };
         const pt2 = {x: pt.x + 20, y: pt.y + 20};
 
+        expect(chart.isZoomingOrPanning()).toBe(false);
+
         jasmine.dispatchEvent(chart, 'mousedown', pt);
         jasmine.dispatchEvent(chart, 'mousemove', pt2);
+
+        expect(chart.isZoomingOrPanning()).toBe(true);
+
         jasmine.dispatchEvent(chart, 'mouseup', pt2);
 
+        // Drag state isn't cleared until a timeout fires (later), so we can't
+        // easily test this here.
+        // expect(chart.isZoomingOrPanning()).toBe(false);
+
         expect(startSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
         expect(zoomSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
       });
@@ -830,10 +839,17 @@ describe('zoom', function() {
         };
         const pt2 = {x: pt.x + 20, y: pt.y + 20};
 
+        expect(chart.isZoomingOrPanning()).toBe(false);
+
         jasmine.dispatchEvent(chart, 'mousedown', pt);
+
+        expect(chart.isZoomingOrPanning()).toBe(false);
+
         jasmine.dispatchEvent(chart, 'mousemove', pt2);
         jasmine.dispatchEvent(chart, 'mouseup', pt2);
 
+        expect(chart.isZoomingOrPanning()).toBe(false);
+
         expect(rejectSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
         expect(zoomSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
         expect(doneSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index c74d36ea..864ec453 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ declare module 'chart.js' {
     getZoomLevel(): number;
     getInitialScaleBounds(): Record<string, {min: number, max: number}>;
     isZoomedOrPanned(): boolean;
+    isZoomingOrPanning(): boolean;
   }
 }
 
@@ -56,3 +57,4 @@ export function resetZoom(chart: Chart, mode?: UpdateMode): void;
 export function getZoomLevel(chart: Chart): number;
 export function getInitialScaleBounds(chart: Chart): Record<string, {min: number, max: number}>;
 export function isZoomedOrPanned(chart: Chart): boolean;
+export function isZoomingOrPanning(chart: Chart): boolean;