diff --git a/SDWebImage/SDImageCache.h b/SDWebImage/SDImageCache.h
index 97cc748..6fc571e 100644
--- a/SDWebImage/SDImageCache.h
+++ b/SDWebImage/SDImageCache.h
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ typedef NS_ENUM(NSInteger, SDImageCacheType) {
 
 typedef void(^SDWebImageQueryCompletedBlock)(UIImage *image, SDImageCacheType cacheType);
 
+typedef void(^SDWebImageCheckCacheCompletionBlock)(BOOL isInCache);
+
 /**
  * SDImageCache maintains a memory cache and an optional disk cache. Disk cache write operations are performed
  * asynchronous so it doesn’t add unnecessary latency to the UI.
@@ -198,7 +200,20 @@ typedef void(^SDWebImageQueryCompletedBlock)(UIImage *image, SDImageCacheType ca
 - (void)calculateSizeWithCompletionBlock:(void (^)(NSUInteger fileCount, NSUInteger totalSize))completionBlock;
 
 /**
- * Check if image exists in cache already
+ *  Async check if image exists in disk cache already (does not load the image)
+ *
+ *  @param key             the key describing the url
+ *  @param completionBlock the block to be executed when the check is done.
+ *  @note the completion block will be always executed on the main queue
+ */
+- (void)diskImageExistsWithKey:(NSString *)key completion:(SDWebImageCheckCacheCompletionBlock)completionBlock;
+
+/**
+ *  Check if image exists in disk cache already (does not load the image)
+ *
+ *  @param key the key describing the url
+ *
+ *  @return YES if an image exists for the given key
  */
 - (BOOL)diskImageExistsWithKey:(NSString *)key;
 
diff --git a/SDWebImage/SDImageCache.m b/SDWebImage/SDImageCache.m
index 396db09..85e4f9b 100644
--- a/SDWebImage/SDImageCache.m
+++ b/SDWebImage/SDImageCache.m
@@ -200,14 +200,26 @@ BOOL ImageDataHasPNGPreffix(NSData *data) {
 }
 
 - (BOOL)diskImageExistsWithKey:(NSString *)key {
-    __block BOOL exists = NO;
-    dispatch_sync(_ioQueue, ^{
-        exists = [_fileManager fileExistsAtPath:[self defaultCachePathForKey:key]];
-    });
-
+    BOOL exists = NO;
+    
+    // this is an exception to access the filemanager on another queue than ioQueue, but we are using the shared instance
+    // from apple docs on NSFileManager: The methods of the shared NSFileManager object can be called from multiple threads safely.
+    exists = [[NSFileManager defaultManager] fileExistsAtPath:[self defaultCachePathForKey:key]];
+    
     return exists;
 }
 
+- (void)diskImageExistsWithKey:(NSString *)key completion:(SDWebImageCheckCacheCompletionBlock)completionBlock {
+    dispatch_async(_ioQueue, ^{
+        BOOL exists = [_fileManager fileExistsAtPath:[self defaultCachePathForKey:key]];
+        if (completionBlock) {
+            dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
+                completionBlock(exists);
+            });
+        }
+    });
+}
+
 - (UIImage *)imageFromMemoryCacheForKey:(NSString *)key {
     return [self.memCache objectForKey:key];
 }
diff --git a/SDWebImage/SDWebImageManager.h b/SDWebImage/SDWebImageManager.h
index 664b308..301787c 100644
--- a/SDWebImage/SDWebImageManager.h
+++ b/SDWebImage/SDWebImageManager.h
@@ -214,11 +214,46 @@ SDWebImageManager *manager = [SDWebImageManager sharedManager];
 - (BOOL)isRunning;
 
 /**
- * Check if image has already been cached
+ *  Check if image has already been cached
+ *
+ *  @param url image url
+ *
+ *  @return if the image was already cached
  */
 - (BOOL)cachedImageExistsForURL:(NSURL *)url;
+
+/**
+ *  Check if image has already been cached on disk only
+ *
+ *  @param url image url
+ *
+ *  @return if the image was already cached (disk only)
+ */
 - (BOOL)diskImageExistsForURL:(NSURL *)url;
 
+/**
+ *  Async check if image has already been cached
+ *
+ *  @param url              image url
+ *  @param completionBlock  the block to be executed when the check is finished
+ *  
+ *  @note the completion block is always executed on the main queue
+ */
+- (void)cachedImageExistsForURL:(NSURL *)url
+                     completion:(SDWebImageCheckCacheCompletionBlock)completionBlock;
+
+/**
+ *  Async check if image has already been cached on disk only
+ *
+ *  @param url              image url
+ *  @param completionBlock  the block to be executed when the check is finished
+ *
+ *  @note the completion block is always executed on the main queue
+ */
+- (void)diskImageExistsForURL:(NSURL *)url
+                   completion:(SDWebImageCheckCacheCompletionBlock)completionBlock;
+
+
 /**
  *Return the cache key for a given URL
  */
diff --git a/SDWebImage/SDWebImageManager.m b/SDWebImage/SDWebImageManager.m
index f030a62..fd48529 100644
--- a/SDWebImage/SDWebImageManager.m
+++ b/SDWebImage/SDWebImageManager.m
@@ -71,6 +71,42 @@
     return [self.imageCache diskImageExistsWithKey:key];
 }
 
+- (void)cachedImageExistsForURL:(NSURL *)url
+                     completion:(SDWebImageCheckCacheCompletionBlock)completionBlock {
+    NSString *key = [self cacheKeyForURL:url];
+    
+    BOOL isInMemoryCache = ([self.imageCache imageFromMemoryCacheForKey:key] != nil);
+    
+    if (isInMemoryCache) {
+        // making sure we call the completion block on the main queue
+        dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
+            if (completionBlock) {
+                completionBlock(YES);
+            }
+        });
+        return;
+    }
+    
+    [self.imageCache diskImageExistsWithKey:key completion:^(BOOL isInDiskCache) {
+        // the completion block of checkDiskCacheForImageWithKey:completion: is always called on the main queue, no need to further dispatch
+        if (completionBlock) {
+            completionBlock(isInDiskCache);
+        }
+    }];
+}
+
+- (void)diskImageExistsForURL:(NSURL *)url
+                   completion:(SDWebImageCheckCacheCompletionBlock)completionBlock {
+    NSString *key = [self cacheKeyForURL:url];
+    
+    [self.imageCache diskImageExistsWithKey:key completion:^(BOOL isInDiskCache) {
+        // the completion block of checkDiskCacheForImageWithKey:completion: is always called on the main queue, no need to further dispatch
+        if (completionBlock) {
+            completionBlock(isInDiskCache);
+        }
+    }];
+}
+
 - (id <SDWebImageOperation>)downloadImageWithURL:(NSURL *)url
                                          options:(SDWebImageOptions)options
                                         progress:(SDWebImageDownloaderProgressBlock)progressBlock