diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 2ad421d08..ec09d61ef 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ impl Url {
                     assert_eq!(host_str, h.to_string())
                 }
                 HostInternal::Domain => {
-                    if SchemeType::from(self.scheme()).is_special() {
+                    if self.is_special() {
                         assert!(!host_str.is_empty())
                     }
                 }
@@ -1497,8 +1497,7 @@ impl Url {
     /// # run().unwrap();
     /// ```
     pub fn set_port(&mut self, mut port: Option<u16>) -> Result<(), ()> {
-        // has_host implies !cannot_be_a_base
-        if !self.has_host() || self.host() == Some(Host::Domain("")) || self.scheme() == "file" {
+        if self.cannot_have_username_password_port() {
             return Err(());
         }
         if port.is_some() && port == parser::default_port(self.scheme()) {
@@ -1635,7 +1634,7 @@ impl Url {
         }
 
         if let Some(host) = host {
-            if host == "" && SchemeType::from(self.scheme()).is_special() {
+            if host == "" && self.is_special() {
                 return Err(ParseError::EmptyHost);
             }
             let mut host_substr = host;
@@ -1653,14 +1652,13 @@ impl Url {
                     None => {}
                 }
             }
-            if SchemeType::from(self.scheme()).is_special() {
+            if self.is_special() {
                 self.set_host_internal(Host::parse(host_substr)?, None);
             } else {
                 self.set_host_internal(Host::parse_opaque(host_substr)?, None);
             }
         } else if self.has_host() {
-            let scheme_type = SchemeType::from(self.scheme());
-            if scheme_type.is_special() {
+            if self.is_special() {
                 return Err(ParseError::EmptyHost);
             } else {
                 if self.serialization.len() == self.path_start as usize {
@@ -1808,8 +1806,7 @@ impl Url {
     /// # run().unwrap();
     /// ```
     pub fn set_password(&mut self, password: Option<&str>) -> Result<(), ()> {
-        // has_host implies !cannot_be_a_base
-        if !self.has_host() || self.host() == Some(Host::Domain("")) || self.scheme() == "file" {
+        if self.cannot_have_username_password_port() {
             return Err(());
         }
         if let Some(password) = password {
@@ -1900,8 +1897,7 @@ impl Url {
     /// # run().unwrap();
     /// ```
     pub fn set_username(&mut self, username: &str) -> Result<(), ()> {
-        // has_host implies !cannot_be_a_base
-        if !self.has_host() || self.host() == Some(Host::Domain("")) || self.scheme() == "file" {
+        if self.cannot_have_username_password_port() {
             return Err(());
         }
         let username_start = self.scheme_end + 3;
@@ -2103,6 +2099,68 @@ impl Url {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Return whether the URL is special.
+    ///
+    /// A URL is special if its scheme is one of the following:
+    ///
+    /// "http" | "https" | "ws" | "wss" | "ftp" | "gopher" | "file"
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// use url::Url;
+    /// # use url::ParseError;
+    ///
+    /// # fn run() -> Result<(), ParseError> {
+    /// let url = Url::parse("ftp://rms@example.com")?;
+    /// assert!(url.is_special());
+    ///
+    /// let url = Url::parse("file://foo.bar")?;
+    /// assert!(url.is_special());
+    ///
+    /// let url = Url::parse("unix:/run/foo.socket")?;
+    /// assert!(!url.is_special());
+    ///
+    /// let url = Url::parse("data:text/plain,Stuff")?;
+    /// assert!(!url.is_special());
+    /// # Ok(())
+    /// # }
+    /// # run().unwrap();
+    /// ```
+    pub fn is_special(&self) -> bool {
+        SchemeType::from(self.scheme()).is_special()
+    }
+
+    /// Return whether the URL includes credentials.
+    ///
+    /// A URL includes credentials if its username or password is not the empty string.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// use url::Url;
+    /// # use url::ParseError;
+    ///
+    /// # fn run() -> Result<(), ParseError> {
+    /// let url = Url::parse("https://username:password@www.my_site.com")?;
+    /// assert!(url.includes_credentials());
+    ///
+    /// let url = Url::parse("https://username@www.my_site.com")?;
+    /// assert!(url.includes_credentials());
+    ///
+    /// let url = Url::parse("https://www.my_site.com")?;
+    /// assert!(!url.includes_credentials());
+    ///
+    /// let url = Url::parse("https://@www.my_site.com")?;
+    /// assert!(!url.includes_credentials());
+    /// # Ok(())
+    /// # }
+    /// # run().unwrap();
+    /// ```
+    pub fn includes_credentials(&self) -> bool {
+        self.username() != "" || self.password().unwrap_or(&"") != ""
+    }
+
     /// Convert a file name as `std::path::Path` into an URL in the `file` scheme.
     ///
     /// This returns `Err` if the given path is not absolute or,
@@ -2300,6 +2358,12 @@ impl Url {
 
     // Private helper methods:
 
+    fn cannot_have_username_password_port(&self) -> bool {
+        self.host().unwrap_or(Host::Domain("")) == Host::Domain("")
+            || self.cannot_be_a_base()
+            || self.scheme() == "file"
+    }
+
     #[inline]
     fn slice<R>(&self, range: R) -> &str
     where