diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/crop.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/crop.py
index c3eb70c56d..fa996b754f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/crop.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/crop.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from calibre.utils.config import OptionParser
 from calibre.utils.logging import Log
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding
 from calibre.customize.conversion import OptionRecommendation
+from calibre.ebooks.pdf.verify import is_valid_pdf
 
 from pyPdf import PdfFileWriter, PdfFileReader
 
@@ -116,17 +117,6 @@ def crop_pdf(pdf_path, opts, metadata=None):
         
     with open(opts.output, 'wb') as output_file:
         output_pdf.write(output_file)
-
-# Return True if the pdf is valid.
-def valid_pdf(pdf_path):
-    try:
-        with open(os.path.abspath(pdf_path), 'rb') as pdf_file:
-            pdf = PdfFileReader(pdf_file)
-            if pdf.isEncrypted or pdf.numPages <= 0:
-                raise Exception
-    except:
-        return False
-    return True
     
 def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
     log = Log()
@@ -141,7 +131,7 @@ def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
         print_help(parser, log)
         return 1
     
-    if not valid_pdf(args[0]):
+    if not is_valid_pdf(args[0]):
         print 'Error: Could not read file `%s`. Is it a vaild PDF file or is it encrypted/DRMed?.' % args[0]
         return 1
     
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/info.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/info.py
index 4aff524330..21a07fdeff 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/info.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/info.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from calibre.utils.config import OptionParser
 from calibre.utils.logging import Log
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding
 from calibre.customize.conversion import OptionRecommendation
+from calibre.ebooks.pdf.verify import is_valid_pdfs
 
 from pyPdf import PdfFileWriter, PdfFileReader
 
@@ -56,17 +57,6 @@ def print_info(pdf_path):
                 print _('PDF Version:           %s' % mo.group('version'))
         except: pass
 
-def verify_files(files):
-    invalid = []
-
-    for pdf_path in files:
-        try:
-            with open(os.path.abspath(pdf_path), 'rb') as pdf_file:
-                pdf = PdfFileReader(pdf_file)
-        except:
-            invalid.append(pdf_path)
-    return invalid
-
 def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
     log = Log()
     parser = option_parser(name)
@@ -79,7 +69,7 @@ def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
         print_help(parser, log)
         return 1
     
-    bad_pdfs = verify_files(args)
+    bad_pdfs = is_valid_pdfs(args)
     if bad_pdfs != []:
         for pdf in bad_pdfs:
             print 'Error: Could not read file `%s`. Is it a vaild PDF file or is it encrypted/DRMed?.' % pdf
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/merge.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/merge.py
index f0ecb9bd7a..1e285e3bdf 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/merge.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/merge.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from calibre.utils.config import OptionParser
 from calibre.utils.logging import Log
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding
 from calibre.customize.conversion import OptionRecommendation
+from calibre.ebooks.pdf.verify import is_valid_pdfs
 
 from pyPdf import PdfFileWriter, PdfFileReader
 
@@ -76,19 +77,6 @@ def merge_files(in_paths, out_path, metadata=None):
 
     with open(out_path, 'wb') as out_file:
         out_pdf.write(out_file)
-    
-def verify_files(files):
-    invalid = []
-
-    for pdf_path in files:
-        try:
-            with open(os.path.abspath(pdf_path), 'rb') as pdf_file:
-                pdf = PdfFileReader(pdf_file)
-                if pdf.isEncrypted or pdf.numPages <= 0:
-                    raise Exception
-        except:
-            invalid.append(pdf_path)
-    return invalid
 
 def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
     log = Log()
@@ -103,7 +91,7 @@ def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
         print_help(parser, log)
         return 1
     
-    bad_pdfs = verify_files(args)
+    bad_pdfs = is_valid_pdfs(args)
     if bad_pdfs != []:
         for pdf in bad_pdfs:
             print 'Error: Could not read file `%s`. Is it a vaild PDF file or is it encrypted/DRMed?.' % pdf
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/reverse.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/reverse.py
index 189cbf009b..564e523ae3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/reverse.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/reverse.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from calibre.utils.config import OptionParser
 from calibre.utils.logging import Log
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding
 from calibre.customize.conversion import OptionRecommendation
+from calibre.ebooks.pdf.verify import is_valid_pdf
 
 from pyPdf import PdfFileWriter, PdfFileReader
 
@@ -74,17 +75,6 @@ def reverse(pdf_path, out_path, metadata=None):
     with open(out_path, 'wb') as out_file:
         out_pdf.write(out_file)
 
-# Return True if the pdf is valid.
-def valid_pdf(pdf_path):
-    try:
-        with open(os.path.abspath(pdf_path), 'rb') as pdf_file:
-            pdf = PdfFileReader(pdf_file)
-            if pdf.isEncrypted or pdf.numPages <= 0:
-                raise Exception
-    except:
-        return False
-    return True
-
 def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
     log = Log()
     parser = option_parser(name)
@@ -98,7 +88,7 @@ def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
         print_help(parser, log)
         return 1
     
-    if not valid_pdf(args[0]):
+    if not is_valid_pdf(args[0]):
         print 'Error: Could not read file `%s`. Is it a vaild PDF file or is it encrypted/DRMed?.' % args[0]
         return 1
     
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/split.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/split.py
index 8996a4cb6b..fb7e4d06d7 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/split.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/manipulate/split.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from calibre.utils.config import OptionParser
 from calibre.utils.logging import Log
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding
 from calibre.customize.conversion import OptionRecommendation
+from calibre.ebooks.pdf.verify import is_valid_pdf
 
 from pyPdf import PdfFileWriter, PdfFileReader
 
@@ -163,17 +164,6 @@ def clean_page_list(pdf_path, pages, page_ranges):
     
     return pages, page_ranges
 
-# Return True if the pdf is valid.
-def valid_pdf(pdf_path):
-    try:
-        with open(os.path.abspath(pdf_path), 'rb') as pdf_file:
-            pdf = PdfFileReader(pdf_file)
-            if pdf.isEncrypted or pdf.numPages <= 0:
-                raise Exception
-    except:
-        return False
-    return True
-
 def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
     log = Log()
     parser = option_parser(name)
@@ -194,7 +184,7 @@ def main(args=sys.argv, name=''):
         print_help(parser, log)
         return 1
     
-    if not valid_pdf(pdf):
+    if not is_valid_pdf(pdf):
         print 'Error: Could not read file `%s`. Is it a vaild PDF file or is it encrypted/DRMed?.' % pdf
         return 1
         
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/verify.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/verify.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..35f7edf0be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/verify.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+from __future__ import with_statement
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+__license__   = 'GPL v3'
+__copyright__ = '2009, John Schember <john@nachtimwald.com>'
+__docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
+
+'''
+Verify PDF files.
+'''
+
+import os
+
+from pyPdf import PdfFileWriter, PdfFileReader
+
+def is_valid_pdf(pdf_path):
+    '''
+    Returns True if the pdf file is valid.
+    '''
+    
+    try:
+        with open(os.path.abspath(pdf_path), 'rb') as pdf_file:
+            pdf = PdfFileReader(pdf_file)
+    except:
+        return False
+    return True
+    
+def is_valid_pdfs(pdf_paths):
+    '''
+    Returns a list of invalid pdf files.
+    '''
+    
+    invalid = []
+    for pdf_path in pdf_paths:
+        if not is_valid_pdf(pdf_path):
+            invalid.append(pdf_path)
+    return invalid