diff --git a/src/triSurface/triSurface/triSurface.C b/src/triSurface/triSurface/triSurface.C
index 2ea0e6eea8..a95013c858 100644
--- a/src/triSurface/triSurface/triSurface.C
+++ b/src/triSurface/triSurface/triSurface.C
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ License
 #include "SortableList.H"
 #include "PackedBoolList.H"
 #include "surfZoneList.H"
+#include "surfaceFormatsCore.H"
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Static Data Members * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
@@ -41,6 +42,69 @@ namespace Foam
 }
 
 
+// Note that these lists are a stop-gap measure until the read/write handling
+// gets properly updated
+const Foam::wordHashSet Foam::triSurface::readTypes_
+{
+    "ftr", "stl", "stlb", "gts", "obj", "off", "tri", "ac", "nas", "vtk"
+};
+
+
+const Foam::wordHashSet Foam::triSurface::writeTypes_
+{
+    "ftr", "stl", "stlb", "gts", "obj", "off", "tri", "ac", "smesh", "vtk"
+};
+
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * Static Member Functions * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+bool Foam::triSurface::canReadType(const word& ext, const bool verbose)
+{
+    return fileFormats::surfaceFormatsCore::checkSupport
+    (
+        readTypes(),
+        ext,
+        verbose,
+        "reading"
+   );
+}
+
+
+bool Foam::triSurface::canWriteType(const word& ext, const bool verbose)
+{
+    return fileFormats::surfaceFormatsCore::checkSupport
+    (
+        writeTypes(),
+        ext,
+        verbose,
+        "writing"
+    );
+}
+
+
+bool Foam::triSurface::canRead(const fileName& name, const bool verbose)
+{
+    word ext = name.ext();
+    if (ext == "gz")
+    {
+        ext = name.lessExt().ext();
+    }
+    return canReadType(ext, verbose);
+}
+
+
+const Foam::wordHashSet& Foam::triSurface::readTypes()
+{
+    return readTypes_;
+}
+
+
+const Foam::wordHashSet& Foam::triSurface::writeTypes()
+{
+    return writeTypes_;
+}
+
+
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * Private Member Functions  * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 Foam::fileName Foam::triSurface::triSurfInstance(const Time& d)
diff --git a/src/triSurface/triSurface/triSurface.H b/src/triSurface/triSurface/triSurface.H
index e320bbfdfd..33265d95d3 100644
--- a/src/triSurface/triSurface/triSurface.H
+++ b/src/triSurface/triSurface/triSurface.H
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ class triSurface
         //  during reading and writing)
         geometricSurfacePatchList patches_;
 
+        static const wordHashSet readTypes_;
+        static const wordHashSet writeTypes_;
+
 
     // Demand driven private data.
 
@@ -240,6 +243,18 @@ public:
         //- Name of triSurface directory to use.
         static fileName triSurfInstance(const Time&);
 
+        //- Can we read this file format?
+        static bool canRead(const fileName& name, const bool verbose=false);
+
+        //- Can we read this file format?
+        static bool canReadType(const word& ext, const bool verbose=false);
+
+        //- Can we write this file format?
+        static bool canWriteType(const word& ext, const bool verbose=false);
+
+        static const wordHashSet& readTypes();
+        static const wordHashSet& writeTypes();
+
 
     // Constructors