diff --git a/scripts/coccinelle/try_parse.sh b/scripts/coccinelle/try_parse.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..865c85570a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/coccinelle/try_parse.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Echo the name of every argument of this script that is not "perfect"
+# according to coccinelle's --parse-c.
+
+top="$(dirname "$0")/../.."
+
+for fn in "$@"; do
+
+    if spatch -macro_file_builtins "$top"/scripts/coccinelle/tor-coccinelle.h \
+              -I "$top" -I "$top"/src -I "$top"/ext --parse-c "$fn" \
+              2>/dev/null | grep "perfect = 1" > /dev/null; then
+        : # it's perfect
+    else
+        echo "$fn"
+    fi
+
+done