diff --git a/glanceclient/v2/schemas.py b/glanceclient/v2/schemas.py
index 5c31741e..94d1bb62 100644
--- a/glanceclient/v2/schemas.py
+++ b/glanceclient/v2/schemas.py
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ class SchemaProperty(object):
     def __init__(self, name, **kwargs):
         self.name = name
         self.description = kwargs.get('description')
+        self.is_base = kwargs.get('is_base', True)
 
 
 def translate_schema_properties(schema_properties):
@@ -86,9 +87,27 @@ class Schema(object):
         self.properties = translate_schema_properties(raw_properties)
 
     def is_core_property(self, property_name):
+        """Checks if a property with a given name is known to the schema,
+        i.e. is either a base property or a custom one registered in
+        schema-image.json file
+
+        :param property_name: name of the property
+        :returns: True if the property is known, False otherwise
+        """
+        return self._check_property(property_name, True)
+
+    def is_base_property(self, property_name):
+        """Checks if a property with a given name is a base property
+
+        :param property_name: name of the property
+        :returns: True if the property is base, False otherwise
+        """
+        return self._check_property(property_name, False)
+
+    def _check_property(self, property_name, allow_non_base):
         for prop in self.properties:
             if property_name == prop.name:
-                return True
+                return prop.is_base or allow_non_base
         return False
 
     def raw(self):
diff --git a/tests/v2/test_schemas.py b/tests/v2/test_schemas.py
index 39625965..20d817bb 100644
--- a/tests/v2/test_schemas.py
+++ b/tests/v2/test_schemas.py
@@ -74,6 +74,14 @@ class TestSchemaProperty(testtools.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual('size', prop.name)
         self.assertEqual('some quantity', prop.description)
 
+    def test_property_is_base(self):
+        prop1 = schemas.SchemaProperty('name')
+        prop2 = schemas.SchemaProperty('foo', is_base=False)
+        prop3 = schemas.SchemaProperty('foo', is_base=True)
+        self.assertTrue(prop1.is_base)
+        self.assertFalse(prop2.is_base)
+        self.assertTrue(prop3.is_base)
+
 
 class TestSchema(testtools.TestCase):
     def test_schema_minimum(self):
@@ -93,6 +101,16 @@ class TestSchema(testtools.TestCase):
         schema = schemas.Schema(raw_schema)
         self.assertEqual(raw_schema, schema.raw())
 
+    def test_property_is_base(self):
+        raw_schema = {'name': 'Country',
+                      'properties': {
+                          'size': {},
+                          'population': {'is_base': False}}}
+        schema = schemas.Schema(raw_schema)
+        self.assertTrue(schema.is_base_property('size'))
+        self.assertFalse(schema.is_base_property('population'))
+        self.assertFalse(schema.is_base_property('foo'))
+
 
 class TestController(testtools.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):