diff --git a/include/ui/clipboard.h b/include/ui/clipboard.h
index e590b453c8..2c6488c1ee 100644
--- a/include/ui/clipboard.h
+++ b/include/ui/clipboard.h
@@ -172,6 +172,16 @@ void qemu_clipboard_peer_release(QemuClipboardPeer *peer,
  */
 QemuClipboardInfo *qemu_clipboard_info(QemuClipboardSelection selection);
 
+/**
+ * qemu_clipboard_check_serial
+ *
+ * @info: clipboard info.
+ * @client: whether to check from the client context and priority.
+ *
+ * Return TRUE if the @info has a higher serial than the current clipboard.
+ */
+bool qemu_clipboard_check_serial(QemuClipboardInfo *info, bool client);
+
 /**
  * qemu_clipboard_info_new
  *
diff --git a/ui/clipboard.c b/ui/clipboard.c
index 743b39edf4..ffbd80e5c6 100644
--- a/ui/clipboard.c
+++ b/ui/clipboard.c
@@ -41,6 +41,21 @@ void qemu_clipboard_peer_release(QemuClipboardPeer *peer,
     }
 }
 
+bool qemu_clipboard_check_serial(QemuClipboardInfo *info, bool client)
+{
+    if (!info->has_serial ||
+        !cbinfo[info->selection] ||
+        !cbinfo[info->selection]->has_serial) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    if (client) {
+        return cbinfo[info->selection]->serial >= info->serial;
+    } else {
+        return cbinfo[info->selection]->serial > info->serial;
+    }
+}
+
 void qemu_clipboard_update(QemuClipboardInfo *info)
 {
     QemuClipboardNotify notify = {