diff --git a/tuf/data/types.go b/tuf/data/types.go
index 6b61f4e192..29acb3ea29 100644
--- a/tuf/data/types.go
+++ b/tuf/data/types.go
@@ -161,6 +161,44 @@ func CheckHashes(payload []byte, name string, hashes Hashes) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// CompareMultiHashes verifies that the two Hashes passed in can represent the same data.
+// This means that both maps must have at least one key defined for which they map, and no conflicts.
+// Note that we only check supported hashes, like in CheckHashes
+func CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2 Hashes) error {
+	// First check if the two hash structures are valid
+	if err := CheckValidHashStructures(hashes1); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := CheckValidHashStructures(hashes2); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// Check if they have at least one matching hash, and no conflicts
+	cnt := 0
+	for _, hashAlg := range NotaryDefaultHashes {
+		hash1, ok := hashes1[hashAlg]
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		hash2, ok := hashes2[hashAlg]
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if subtle.ConstantTimeCompare(hash1[:], hash2[:]) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("mismatched %s checksum", hashAlg)
+		}
+		// If we reached here, we had a match
+		cnt++
+	}
+
+	if cnt == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("at least one supported and matching hash needed")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // CheckValidHashStructures returns an error, or nil, depending on whether
 // the content of the hashes is valid or not.
 func CheckValidHashStructures(hashes Hashes) error {
diff --git a/tuf/data/types_test.go b/tuf/data/types_test.go
index 5bb980bc80..8f2dd9e265 100644
--- a/tuf/data/types_test.go
+++ b/tuf/data/types_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package data
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/hex"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/docker/go/canonical/json"
@@ -176,3 +177,52 @@ func TestCheckValidHashStructures(t *testing.T) {
 	err = CheckValidHashStructures(hashes)
 	require.IsType(t, ErrInvalidChecksum{}, err)
 }
+
+func TestCompareMultiHashes(t *testing.T) {
+	var err error
+	hashes1 := make(Hashes)
+	hashes2 := make(Hashes)
+
+	// Expected to fail since there are no checksums at all
+	err = CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
+	// Expected to fail even though the checksum of sha384 is valid,
+	// because we haven't provided a supported hash algorithm yet (ex: sha256).
+	hashes1["sha384"], err = hex.DecodeString("64becc3c23843942b1040ffd4743d1368d988ddf046d17d448a6e199c02c3044b425a680112b399d4dbe9b35b7ccc989")
+	hashes2["sha384"], err = hex.DecodeString("64becc3c23843942b1040ffd4743d1368d988ddf046d17d448a6e199c02c3044b425a680112b399d4dbe9b35b7ccc989")
+	err = CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
+	// Now both have a matching sha256, so this will pass
+	hashes1["sha256"], err = hex.DecodeString("766af0ef090a4f2307e49160fa242db6fb95f071ad81a198eeb7d770e61cd6d8")
+	hashes2["sha256"], err = hex.DecodeString("766af0ef090a4f2307e49160fa242db6fb95f071ad81a198eeb7d770e61cd6d8")
+	err = CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Because the sha384 algorithm isn't supported, it's treated as an extra key that won't be checked
+	// So even if it doesn't match, that's fine as long as all supported keys match
+	hashes2["sha384"], err = hex.DecodeString(strings.Repeat("a", 96))
+	err = CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// only add a sha512 to hashes1, but comparison will still succeed because there's no mismatch and we have the sha256 match
+	hashes1["sha512"], err = hex.DecodeString("795d9e95db099464b6730844f28effddb010b0d5abae5d5892a6ee04deacb09c9e622f89e816458b5a1a81761278d7d3a6a7c269d9707eff8858b16c51de0315")
+	err = CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// remove sha256 from hashes1, comparison will fail now because there are no matches
+	delete(hashes1, "sha256")
+	err = CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
+	// add sha512 to hashes2, comparison will now pass because both have matching sha512s
+	hashes2["sha512"], err = hex.DecodeString("795d9e95db099464b6730844f28effddb010b0d5abae5d5892a6ee04deacb09c9e622f89e816458b5a1a81761278d7d3a6a7c269d9707eff8858b16c51de0315")
+	err = CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// change the sha512 for hashes2, comparison will now fail
+	hashes2["sha512"], err = hex.DecodeString(strings.Repeat("a", notary.Sha512HexSize))
+	err = CompareMultiHashes(hashes1, hashes2)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}