diff --git a/src/error.cc b/src/error.cc
index 533b542..17abbcc 100644
--- a/src/error.cc
+++ b/src/error.cc
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ static const char* messages[] = {
 	nullptr, /* standard error: call stderror */
 	"End of file",
 	"libogg error",
+	"Invalid identification header, not an Opus stream",
 	"Bad magic number",
 	"Overflowing magic number",
 	"Overflowing vendor length",
diff --git a/src/opus.cc b/src/opus.cc
index 5b51ffc..1655e18 100644
--- a/src/opus.cc
+++ b/src/opus.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@
 #define le32toh(x) OSSwapLittleToHostInt32(x)
 #endif
 
+ot::status ot::validate_identification_header(const unsigned char* data, size_t size)
+{
+	if (size < 8)
+		return ot::status::bad_identification_header;
+	if (memcmp(data, "OpusHead", 8) != 0)
+		return ot::status::bad_identification_header;
+	return ot::status::ok;
+}
+
 ot::status ot::parse_tags(const char *data, long len, opus_tags *tags)
 {
 	if (len < 0)
diff --git a/src/opustags.cc b/src/opustags.cc
index 0392a6a..4a3f90f 100644
--- a/src/opustags.cc
+++ b/src/opustags.cc
@@ -108,9 +108,10 @@ static int run(ot::options& opt)
         // Read all the packets.
         while(ogg_stream_packetout(&reader.stream, &reader.packet) == 1){
             packet_count++;
-            if(packet_count == 1){ // Identification header
-                if(strncmp((char*) reader.packet.packet, "OpusHead", 8) != 0){
-                    error = "opustags: invalid identification header";
+            if (packet_count == 1) { // Identification header
+                rc = ot::validate_identification_header(reader.packet.packet, reader.packet.bytes);
+                if (rc != ot::status::ok) {
+                    error = ot::error_message(rc);
                     break;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/opustags.h b/src/opustags.h
index dbc3ab0..622aca4 100644
--- a/src/opustags.h
+++ b/src/opustags.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ enum class status {
 	standard_error,
 	end_of_file,
 	libogg_error,
+	bad_identification_header,
 	/* OpusTags parsing errors */
 	bad_magic_number,
 	overflowing_magic_number,
@@ -197,6 +198,12 @@ struct opus_tags {
 	std::string extra_data;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Validate the content of the first packet of an Ogg stream to ensure it's a valid OpusHead.
+ * Returns #ot::status::ok on success, #ot::status::bad_identification_header on error.
+ */
+status validate_identification_header(const unsigned char* data, size_t size);
+
 status parse_tags(const char *data, long len, opus_tags *tags);
 int render_tags(opus_tags *tags, ogg_packet *op);
 void delete_tags(opus_tags *tags, const char *field);
diff --git a/t/opus.cc b/t/opus.cc
index d7f9099..46d82f4 100644
--- a/t/opus.cc
+++ b/t/opus.cc
@@ -13,6 +13,22 @@
 
 using namespace std::literals::string_literals;
 
+static void check_identification()
+{
+	ot::status rc;
+	rc = ot::validate_identification_header(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>("OpusHead.."), 10);
+	if (rc != ot::status::ok)
+		throw failure("did not accept a good OpusHead");
+
+	rc = ot::validate_identification_header(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>("OpusHead"), 7);
+	if (rc != ot::status::bad_identification_header)
+		throw failure("accepted an OpusHead that is too short");
+
+	rc = ot::validate_identification_header(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>("NotOpusHead"), 11);
+	if (rc != ot::status::bad_identification_header)
+		throw failure("did not report the right status for a bad OpusHead");
+}
+
 static const char standard_OpusTags[] =
 	"OpusTags"
 	"\x14\x00\x00\x00" "opustags test packet"
@@ -136,7 +152,8 @@ static void recode_padding()
 
 int main()
 {
-	std::cout << "1..4\n";
+	std::cout << "1..5\n";
+	run(check_identification, "check the OpusHead packet");
 	run(parse_standard, "parse a standard OpusTags packet");
 	run(parse_corrupted, "correctly reject invalid packets");
 	run(recode_standard, "recode a standard OpusTags packet");