diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d3f17eaf6..e5adf1572 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 **Features**:
 
 - Removed the `SENTRY_PERFORMANCE_MONITORING` compile flag requirement to access performance monitoring in the Sentry SDK. Performance monitoring is now available to everybody who has opted into the experimental API.
+- New API to check whether the application has crashed in the previous run: `sentry_get_crashed_last_run()` and `sentry_clear_crashed_last_run()` ([#685](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-native/pull/685)).
 - Allow overriding the SDK name at build time - set the `SENTRY_SDK_NAME` CMake cache variable.
 
 ## 0.4.15
diff --git a/include/sentry.h b/include/sentry.h
index 428633ee9..635eb437e 100644
--- a/include/sentry.h
+++ b/include/sentry.h
@@ -1711,6 +1711,34 @@ SENTRY_EXPERIMENTAL_API void sentry_transaction_iter_headers(
     sentry_transaction_t *tx, sentry_iter_headers_function_t callback,
     void *userdata);
 
+/**
+ * Returns whether the application has crashed on the last run.
+ *
+ * Notes:
+ *   * The underlying value is set by sentry_init() - it must be called first.
+ *   * Call sentry_clear_crashed_last_run() to reset for the next app run.
+ *
+ * Possible return values:
+ *   1 = the last run was a crash
+ *   0 = no crash recognized
+ *  -1 = sentry_init() hasn't been called yet
+ */
+SENTRY_EXPERIMENTAL_API int sentry_get_crashed_last_run();
+
+/**
+ * Clear the status of the "crashed-last-run". You should explicitly call
+ * this after sentry_init() if you're using sentry_get_crashed_last_run().
+ * Otherwise, the same information is reported on any subsequent runs.
+ *
+ * Notes:
+ *   * This doesn't change the value of sentry_get_crashed_last_run() yet.
+ *     However, if sentry_init() is called again, the value will change.
+ *   * This may only be called after sentry_init() and before sentry_close().
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, 1 on error.
+ */
+SENTRY_EXPERIMENTAL_API int sentry_clear_crashed_last_run();
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/sentry_core.c b/src/sentry_core.c
index fd90d7104..6bcdf8fe1 100644
--- a/src/sentry_core.c
+++ b/src/sentry_core.c
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 static sentry_options_t *g_options = NULL;
 static sentry_mutex_t g_options_lock = SENTRY__MUTEX_INIT;
 
+/// see sentry_get_crashed_last_run() for the possible values
+static int g_last_crash = -1;
+
 const sentry_options_t *
 sentry__options_getref(void)
 {
@@ -158,6 +161,7 @@ sentry_init(sentry_options_t *options)
         last_crash = backend->get_last_crash_func(backend);
     }
 
+    g_last_crash = sentry__has_crash_marker(options);
     g_options = options;
 
     // *after* setting the global options, trigger a scope and consent flush,
@@ -999,3 +1003,21 @@ sentry_span_finish(sentry_span_t *opaque_span)
     sentry__span_free(opaque_span);
     return;
 }
+
+int
+sentry_get_crashed_last_run()
+{
+    return g_last_crash;
+}
+
+int
+sentry_clear_crashed_last_run()
+{
+    bool success = false;
+    sentry_options_t *options = sentry__options_lock();
+    if (options) {
+        success = sentry__clear_crash_marker(options);
+    }
+    sentry__options_unlock();
+    return success ? 0 : 1;
+}
diff --git a/src/sentry_database.c b/src/sentry_database.c
index a2c146358..62a619d8a 100644
--- a/src/sentry_database.c
+++ b/src/sentry_database.c
@@ -235,6 +235,8 @@ sentry__process_old_runs(const sentry_options_t *options, uint64_t last_crash)
     sentry__capture_envelope(options->transport, session_envelope);
 }
 
+static const char *g_last_crash_filename = "last_crash";
+
 bool
 sentry__write_crash_marker(const sentry_options_t *options)
 {
@@ -244,7 +246,7 @@ sentry__write_crash_marker(const sentry_options_t *options)
     }
 
     sentry_path_t *marker_path
-        = sentry__path_join_str(options->database_path, "last_crash");
+        = sentry__path_join_str(options->database_path, g_last_crash_filename);
     if (!marker_path) {
         sentry_free(iso_time);
         return false;
@@ -260,3 +262,34 @@ sentry__write_crash_marker(const sentry_options_t *options)
     }
     return !rv;
 }
+
+bool
+sentry__has_crash_marker(const sentry_options_t *options)
+{
+    sentry_path_t *marker_path
+        = sentry__path_join_str(options->database_path, g_last_crash_filename);
+    if (!marker_path) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    bool result = sentry__path_is_file(marker_path);
+    sentry__path_free(marker_path);
+    return result;
+}
+
+bool
+sentry__clear_crash_marker(const sentry_options_t *options)
+{
+    sentry_path_t *marker_path
+        = sentry__path_join_str(options->database_path, g_last_crash_filename);
+    if (!marker_path) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    int rv = sentry__path_remove(marker_path);
+    sentry__path_free(marker_path);
+    if (rv) {
+        SENTRY_DEBUG("removing the crash timestamp file has failed");
+    }
+    return !rv;
+}
diff --git a/src/sentry_database.h b/src/sentry_database.h
index 086ebab8e..2d99bedb0 100644
--- a/src/sentry_database.h
+++ b/src/sentry_database.h
@@ -75,4 +75,14 @@ void sentry__process_old_runs(
  */
 bool sentry__write_crash_marker(const sentry_options_t *options);
 
+/**
+ * This will check whether the `<database>/last_crash` file exists.
+ */
+bool sentry__has_crash_marker(const sentry_options_t *options);
+
+/**
+ * This will remove the `<database>/last_crash` file.
+ */
+bool sentry__clear_crash_marker(const sentry_options_t *options);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_basic.c b/tests/unit/test_basic.c
index dc85df926..ca257f59d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_basic.c
+++ b/tests/unit/test_basic.c
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "sentry_core.h"
+#include "sentry_database.h"
 #include "sentry_testsupport.h"
+#include "sentry_utils.h"
 
 static void
 send_envelope_test_basic(const sentry_envelope_t *envelope, void *data)
@@ -96,3 +98,70 @@ SENTRY_TEST(sampling_before_send)
     // well, its random after all
     TEST_CHECK(called_beforesend > 50 && called_beforesend < 100);
 }
+
+SENTRY_TEST(crash_marker)
+{
+    sentry_options_t *options = sentry_options_new();
+
+    // clear returns true, regardless if the file exists
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__clear_crash_marker(options));
+
+    // write should normally be true, even when called multiple times
+    TEST_CHECK(!sentry__has_crash_marker(options));
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__write_crash_marker(options));
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__has_crash_marker(options));
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__write_crash_marker(options));
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__has_crash_marker(options));
+
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__clear_crash_marker(options));
+    TEST_CHECK(!sentry__has_crash_marker(options));
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__clear_crash_marker(options));
+
+    sentry_options_free(options);
+}
+
+SENTRY_TEST(crashed_last_run)
+{
+    // fails before init() is called
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_clear_crashed_last_run(), 1);
+
+    // clear any leftover from previous test runs
+    sentry_options_t *options = sentry_options_new();
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__clear_crash_marker(options));
+    sentry_options_free(options);
+
+    // -1 before sentry_init()
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_get_crashed_last_run(), -1);
+
+    options = sentry_options_new();
+    sentry_options_set_dsn(options, "https://foo@sentry.invalid/42");
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_init(options), 0);
+    sentry_close();
+
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_get_crashed_last_run(), 0);
+
+    options = sentry_options_new();
+    sentry_options_set_dsn(options, "https://foo@sentry.invalid/42");
+
+    // simulate a crash
+    TEST_CHECK(sentry__write_crash_marker(options));
+
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_init(options), 0);
+
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_get_crashed_last_run(), 1);
+
+    // clear the status and re-init
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_clear_crashed_last_run(), 0);
+
+    sentry_close();
+
+    // no change yet before sentry_init() is called
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_get_crashed_last_run(), 1);
+
+    options = sentry_options_new();
+    sentry_options_set_dsn(options, "https://foo@sentry.invalid/42");
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_init(options), 0);
+    sentry_close();
+
+    TEST_CHECK_INT_EQUAL(sentry_get_crashed_last_run(), 0);
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/tests.inc b/tests/unit/tests.inc
index 6414d109e..268010e22 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tests.inc
+++ b/tests/unit/tests.inc
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ XX(child_spans)
 XX(concurrent_init)
 XX(concurrent_uninit)
 XX(count_sampled_events)
+XX(crash_marker)
+XX(crashed_last_run)
 XX(custom_logger)
 XX(distributed_headers)
 XX(drop_unfinished_spans)