diff --git a/ext/opcache/opcache.stub.php b/ext/opcache/opcache.stub.php
index 526da238219a..32673bb1dcee 100644
--- a/ext/opcache/opcache.stub.php
+++ b/ext/opcache/opcache.stub.php
@@ -23,3 +23,5 @@ function opcache_jit_blacklist(Closure $closure): void {}
 function opcache_get_configuration(): array|false {}
 
 function opcache_is_script_cached(string $filename): bool {}
+
+function opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache(string $filename): bool {}
diff --git a/ext/opcache/opcache_arginfo.h b/ext/opcache/opcache_arginfo.h
index b4dc1f33a5fd..7fff6b1eb0da 100644
--- a/ext/opcache/opcache_arginfo.h
+++ b/ext/opcache/opcache_arginfo.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* This is a generated file, edit the .stub.php file instead.
- * Stub hash: c416c231c5d1270b7e5961f84cc3ca3e29db4959 */
+ * Stub hash: a8de025fa96a78db3a26d53a18bb2b365d094eca */
 
 ZEND_BEGIN_ARG_WITH_RETURN_TYPE_INFO_EX(arginfo_opcache_reset, 0, 0, _IS_BOOL, 0)
 ZEND_END_ARG_INFO()
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ ZEND_END_ARG_INFO()
 
 #define arginfo_opcache_is_script_cached arginfo_opcache_compile_file
 
+#define arginfo_opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache arginfo_opcache_compile_file
+
 ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_reset);
 ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_get_status);
 ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_compile_file);
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_invalidate);
 ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_jit_blacklist);
 ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_get_configuration);
 ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_is_script_cached);
+ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache);
 
 static const zend_function_entry ext_functions[] = {
 	ZEND_FE(opcache_reset, arginfo_opcache_reset)
@@ -42,5 +45,6 @@ static const zend_function_entry ext_functions[] = {
 	ZEND_FE(opcache_jit_blacklist, arginfo_opcache_jit_blacklist)
 	ZEND_FE(opcache_get_configuration, arginfo_opcache_get_configuration)
 	ZEND_FE(opcache_is_script_cached, arginfo_opcache_is_script_cached)
+	ZEND_FE(opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache, arginfo_opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache)
 	ZEND_FE_END
 };
diff --git a/ext/opcache/tests/cleanup_helper.inc b/ext/opcache/tests/cleanup_helper.inc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f61fb25c71b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/opcache/tests/cleanup_helper.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<?php
+
+function removeDirRecursive($dir) {
+    if (!is_dir($dir)) return;
+    try {
+        $iterator = new RecursiveIteratorIterator(
+            new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($dir, RecursiveDirectoryIterator::SKIP_DOTS),
+            RecursiveIteratorIterator::CHILD_FIRST
+        );
+        foreach ($iterator as $fileinfo) {
+            if ($fileinfo->isDir()) {
+                @rmdir($fileinfo->getRealPath());
+            } else {
+                @unlink($fileinfo->getRealPath());
+            }
+        }
+        @rmdir($dir);
+    } catch (UnexpectedValueException $e) { @rmdir($dir); } catch (Exception $e) { @rmdir($dir); }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ext/opcache/tests/gh16979_check_file_cache_function.phpt b/ext/opcache/tests/gh16979_check_file_cache_function.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..19369de0689b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/opcache/tests/gh16979_check_file_cache_function.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+--TEST--
+GH-16979: Test opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache function
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php
+// Ensure the cache directory exists BEFORE OPcache needs it
+$cacheDir = __DIR__ . '/gh16979_cache';
+if (!is_dir($cacheDir)) {
+    @mkdir($cacheDir, 0777, true);
+}
+// Check if mkdir failed potentially due to permissions
+if (!is_dir($cacheDir) || !is_writable($cacheDir)) {
+    die('skip Could not create or write to cache directory: ' . $cacheDir);
+}
+?>
+--INI--
+opcache.enable=1
+opcache.enable_cli=1
+opcache.jit=disable
+opcache.file_cache="{PWD}/gh16979_cache"
+opcache.file_update_protection=0
+--EXTENSIONS--
+opcache
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+opcache_compile_file(__FILE__);
+
+var_dump(opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache(__FILE__));
+
+opcache_invalidate(__FILE__, true); // force=true
+
+var_dump(opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache(__FILE__));
+
+?>
+--CLEAN--
+<?php
+require __DIR__ . '/cleanup_helper.inc';
+
+$cacheDir = __DIR__ . '/gh16979_cache';
+
+removeDirRecursive($cacheDir);
+?>
+--EXPECTF--
+bool(true)
+bool(false)
diff --git a/ext/opcache/zend_accelerator_module.c b/ext/opcache/zend_accelerator_module.c
index a4f632872f54..684613675a2a 100644
--- a/ext/opcache/zend_accelerator_module.c
+++ b/ext/opcache/zend_accelerator_module.c
@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include "php.h"
+#include "zend.h"
 #include "ZendAccelerator.h"
 #include "zend_API.h"
 #include "zend_closures.h"
 #include "zend_shared_alloc.h"
 #include "zend_accelerator_blacklist.h"
+#include "zend_file_cache.h"
 #include "php_ini.h"
 #include "SAPI.h"
 #include "zend_virtual_cwd.h"
@@ -364,6 +366,23 @@ static int filename_is_in_cache(zend_string *filename)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int filename_is_in_file_cache(zend_string *filename)
+{
+	zend_string *realpath = zend_resolve_path(filename);
+	if (!realpath) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	zend_file_handle handle;
+	zend_stream_init_filename_ex(&handle, filename);
+	handle.opened_path = realpath;
+
+	zend_persistent_script *result = zend_file_cache_script_load_ex(&handle, true);
+	zend_destroy_file_handle(&handle);
+
+	return result != NULL;
+}
+
 static int accel_file_in_cache(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS)
 {
 	if (ZEND_NUM_ARGS() == 1) {
@@ -999,3 +1018,28 @@ ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_is_script_cached)
 
 	RETURN_BOOL(filename_is_in_cache(script_name));
 }
+
+/* {{{ Return true if the script is cached in OPCache file cache, false if it is not cached or if OPCache is not running. */
+ZEND_FUNCTION(opcache_is_script_cached_in_file_cache)
+{
+	zend_string *script_name;
+
+	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_START(1, 1)
+		Z_PARAM_STR(script_name)
+	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();
+
+	if (!validate_api_restriction()) {
+		RETURN_FALSE;
+	}
+
+	// account for accelerator_enabled = false when file_cache_only = true
+	if (!(ZCG(accelerator_enabled) || ZCG(accel_directives).file_cache_only)) {
+		RETURN_FALSE;
+	}
+	
+	if (!ZCG(accel_directives).file_cache) {
+		RETURN_FALSE;
+	}
+
+	RETURN_BOOL(filename_is_in_file_cache(script_name));
+}
diff --git a/ext/opcache/zend_file_cache.c b/ext/opcache/zend_file_cache.c
index fee90e42b574..4b47bb54e7ac 100644
--- a/ext/opcache/zend_file_cache.c
+++ b/ext/opcache/zend_file_cache.c
@@ -1871,7 +1871,14 @@ static void zend_file_cache_unserialize(zend_persistent_script  *script,
 	zend_file_cache_unserialize_early_bindings(script, buf);
 }
 
+static zend_persistent_script file_cache_validate_success_script;
+
 zend_persistent_script *zend_file_cache_script_load(zend_file_handle *file_handle)
+{
+	return zend_file_cache_script_load_ex(file_handle, false);
+}
+
+zend_persistent_script *zend_file_cache_script_load_ex(zend_file_handle *file_handle, bool validate_only)
 {
 	zend_string *full_path = file_handle->opened_path;
 	int fd;
@@ -1948,6 +1955,16 @@ zend_persistent_script *zend_file_cache_script_load(zend_file_handle *file_handl
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	/* return here if validating */
+	if (validate_only) {
+		if (zend_file_cache_flock(fd, LOCK_UN) != 0) {
+			zend_accel_error(ACCEL_LOG_WARNING, "opcache cannot unlock file '%s'\n", filename);
+		}
+		close(fd);
+		efree(filename);
+		return &file_cache_validate_success_script;
+	}
+
 	checkpoint = zend_arena_checkpoint(CG(arena));
 #if defined(__AVX__) || defined(__SSE2__)
 	/* Align to 64-byte boundary */
diff --git a/ext/opcache/zend_file_cache.h b/ext/opcache/zend_file_cache.h
index 8f067f5f37ab..452f6b2c4c24 100644
--- a/ext/opcache/zend_file_cache.h
+++ b/ext/opcache/zend_file_cache.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 int zend_file_cache_script_store(zend_persistent_script *script, bool in_shm);
 zend_persistent_script *zend_file_cache_script_load(zend_file_handle *file_handle);
+zend_persistent_script *zend_file_cache_script_load_ex(zend_file_handle *file_handle, bool validate_only);
 void zend_file_cache_invalidate(zend_string *full_path);
 
 #endif /* ZEND_FILE_CACHE_H */