diff --git a/lib/ykpiv.c b/lib/ykpiv.c
index a35f515..1322a9e 100644
--- a/lib/ykpiv.c
+++ b/lib/ykpiv.c
@@ -557,3 +557,48 @@ ykpiv_rc ykpiv_get_version(ykpiv_state *state, char *version, size_t len) {
     return YKPIV_GENERIC_ERROR;
   }
 }
+
+ykpiv_rc ykpiv_verify(ykpiv_state *state, const char *pin, int *tries) {
+  APDU apdu;
+  unsigned char data[0xff];
+  unsigned long recv_len = sizeof(data);
+  int sw;
+  size_t len = strlen(pin);
+  ykpiv_rc res;
+
+  if(len > 8) {
+    return YKPIV_SIZE_ERROR;
+  }
+
+  memset(apdu.raw, 0, sizeof(apdu.raw));
+  apdu.st.ins = YKPIV_INS_VERIFY;
+  apdu.st.p1 = 0x00;
+  apdu.st.p2 = 0x80;
+  apdu.st.lc = 0x08;
+  memcpy(apdu.st.data, pin, len);
+  if(len < 8) {
+    memset(apdu.st.data + len, 0xff, 8 - len);
+  }
+  if((res = ykpiv_send_data(state, apdu.raw, data, &recv_len, &sw)) != YKPIV_OK) {
+    return res;
+  } else if(sw == 0x9000) {
+    return YKPIV_OK;
+  } else if((sw >> 8) == 0x63) {
+    if(state->verbose) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Pin verification failed, %d tries left before pin is blocked.\n", sw & 0xff);
+    }
+    *tries = (sw & 0xff);
+    return YKPIV_WRONG_PIN;
+  } else if(sw == 0x6983) {
+    if(state->verbose) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Pin code blocked, use unblock-pin action to unblock.\n");
+    }
+    *tries = 0;
+    return YKPIV_WRONG_PIN;
+  } else {
+    if(state->verbose) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Pin code verification failed with code %x.\n", sw);
+    }
+    return YKPIV_GENERIC_ERROR;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/ykpiv.h b/lib/ykpiv.h
index 1239df3..0207f13 100644
--- a/lib/ykpiv.h
+++ b/lib/ykpiv.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ extern "C"
 		YKPIV_GENERIC_ERROR = -7,
 		YKPIV_KEY_ERROR = -8,
 		YKPIV_PARSE_ERROR = -9,
+		YKPIV_WRONG_PIN = -10,
 	} ykpiv_rc;
 
 	const char *ykpiv_strerror(ykpiv_rc err);
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ extern "C"
 			int in_len,unsigned char *sign_out, int *out_len,
 			unsigned char algorithm, unsigned char key);
 	ykpiv_rc ykpiv_get_version(ykpiv_state *state, char *version, size_t len);
+	ykpiv_rc ykpiv_verify(ykpiv_state *state, const char *pin, int *tries);
 
 #define YKPIV_ALGO_3DES 0x03
 #define YKPIV_ALGO_RSA1024 0x06
diff --git a/lib/ykpiv.map b/lib/ykpiv.map
index 5aed2ae..1e156ac 100644
--- a/lib/ykpiv.map
+++ b/lib/ykpiv.map
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ global:
 	ykpiv_parse_key;
 	ykpiv_sign_data;
 	ykpiv_get_version;
+	ykpiv_verify;
 
 local:
 	*;
diff --git a/tool/yubico-piv-tool.c b/tool/yubico-piv-tool.c
index 903866c..d15c672 100644
--- a/tool/yubico-piv-tool.c
+++ b/tool/yubico-piv-tool.c
@@ -797,36 +797,25 @@ selfsign_out:
 }
 
 static bool verify_pin(ykpiv_state *state, const char *pin) {
-  APDU apdu;
-  unsigned char data[0xff];
-  unsigned long recv_len = sizeof(data);
-  int sw;
-  size_t len = strlen(pin);
+  int tries = -1;
+  ykpiv_rc res;
+  int len = strlen(pin);
 
   if(len > 8) {
     fprintf(stderr, "Maximum 8 digits of PIN supported.\n");
-    return false;
   }
 
-  memset(apdu.raw, 0, sizeof(apdu.raw));
-  apdu.st.ins = YKPIV_INS_VERIFY;
-  apdu.st.p1 = 0x00;
-  apdu.st.p2 = 0x80;
-  apdu.st.lc = 0x08;
-  memcpy(apdu.st.data, pin, len);
-  if(len < 8) {
-    memset(apdu.st.data + len, 0xff, 8 - len);
-  }
-  if(ykpiv_send_data(state, apdu.raw, data, &recv_len, &sw) != YKPIV_OK) {
-    return false;
-  } else if(sw == 0x9000) {
+  res = ykpiv_verify(state, pin, &tries);
+  if(res == YKPIV_OK) {
     return true;
-  } else if((sw >> 8) == 0x63) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "Pin verification failed, %d tries left before pin is blocked.\n", sw & 0xff);
-  } else if(sw == 0x6983) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "Pin code blocked, use unblock-pin action to unblock.\n");
+  } else if(res == YKPIV_WRONG_PIN) {
+    if(tries > 0) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Pin verification failed, %d tries left before pin is blocked.\n", tries);
+    } else {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Pin code blocked, use unblock-pin action to unblock.\n");
+    }
   } else {
-    fprintf(stderr, "Pin code verification failed with code %x.\n", sw);
+    fprintf(stderr, "Pin code verification failed: '%s'\n", ykpiv_strerror(res));
   }
   return false;
 }