diff --git a/src/utils/keyhelpers.cpp b/src/utils/keyhelpers.cpp
index 4dc57e94a..8c564d71e 100644
--- a/src/utils/keyhelpers.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/keyhelpers.cpp
@@ -1,62 +1,68 @@
 /*
     utils/keyhelpers.cpp
 
     This file is part of libkleopatra, the KDE keymanagement library
     SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 g10 Code GmbH
     SPDX-FileContributor: Ingo Klöcker <dev@ingo-kloecker.de>
 
     SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 */
 
 #include <config-libkleo.h>
 
 #include "keyhelpers.h"
 
 #include <libkleo/keycache.h>
 
 #include <gpgme++/key.h>
 
 using namespace Kleo;
 
 namespace
 {
 bool havePublicKeyForSignature(const GpgME::UserID::Signature &signature)
 {
     // GnuPG returns status "NoPublicKey" for missing signing keys, but also
     // for expired or revoked signing keys.
     return (signature.status() != GpgME::UserID::Signature::NoPublicKey) //
         || !KeyCache::instance()->findByKeyIDOrFingerprint(signature.signerKeyID()).isNull();
 }
 
 auto _getMissingSignerKeyIds(const std::vector<GpgME::UserID::Signature> &signatures)
 {
     return std::accumulate(std::begin(signatures), std::end(signatures), std::set<QString>{}, [](auto &keyIds, const auto &signature) {
         if (!havePublicKeyForSignature(signature)) {
             keyIds.insert(QLatin1String{signature.signerKeyID()});
         }
         return keyIds;
     });
 }
 }
 
 std::set<QString> Kleo::getMissingSignerKeyIds(const std::vector<GpgME::UserID> &userIds)
 {
     return std::accumulate(std::begin(userIds), std::end(userIds), std::set<QString>{}, [](auto &keyIds, const auto &userID) {
         if (!userID.isBad()) {
             const auto newKeyIds = _getMissingSignerKeyIds(userID.signatures());
             std::copy(std::begin(newKeyIds), std::end(newKeyIds), std::inserter(keyIds, std::end(keyIds)));
         }
         return keyIds;
     });
 }
 
 std::set<QString> Kleo::getMissingSignerKeyIds(const std::vector<GpgME::Key> &keys)
 {
     return std::accumulate(std::begin(keys), std::end(keys), std::set<QString>{}, [](auto &keyIds, const auto &key) {
         if (!key.isBad()) {
             const auto newKeyIds = getMissingSignerKeyIds(key.userIDs());
             std::copy(std::begin(newKeyIds), std::end(newKeyIds), std::inserter(keyIds, std::end(keyIds)));
         }
         return keyIds;
     });
 }
+
+bool Kleo::isRemoteKey(const GpgME::Key &key)
+{
+    // a remote key looked up via WKD has key list mode Local; therefore we also look for the key in the local key ring
+    return (key.keyListMode() == GpgME::Extern) || KeyCache::instance()->findByFingerprint(key.primaryFingerprint()).isNull();
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/keyhelpers.h b/src/utils/keyhelpers.h
index 17e9b183e..58a0c3152 100644
--- a/src/utils/keyhelpers.h
+++ b/src/utils/keyhelpers.h
@@ -1,47 +1,53 @@
 /*
     utils/keyhelpers.h
 
     This file is part of libkleopatra, the KDE keymanagement library
     SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021-2022 g10 Code GmbH
     SPDX-FileContributor: Ingo Klöcker <dev@ingo-kloecker.de>
 
     SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 */
 
 #pragma once
 
 #include "kleo_export.h"
 
 #include <QStringList>
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <set>
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace GpgME
 {
 class Key;
 class UserID;
 }
 
 namespace Kleo
 {
 
 template<typename KeyContainer>
 QStringList getFingerprints(const KeyContainer &keys)
 {
     QStringList fingerprints;
 
     fingerprints.reserve(keys.size());
     std::transform(std::begin(keys), std::end(keys), std::back_inserter(fingerprints), [](const auto &key) {
         return QString::fromLatin1(key.primaryFingerprint());
     });
 
     return fingerprints;
 }
 
 KLEO_EXPORT std::set<QString> getMissingSignerKeyIds(const std::vector<GpgME::UserID> &userIds);
 
 KLEO_EXPORT std::set<QString> getMissingSignerKeyIds(const std::vector<GpgME::Key> &keys);
 
+/**
+ * Returns true, if the key \p key is the result of a lookup which is not present
+ * in the local key ring.
+ */
+KLEO_EXPORT bool isRemoteKey(const GpgME::Key &key);
+
 }