diff --git a/dlib/constexpr_if.h b/dlib/constexpr_if.h
index 199d9dabe..979f66ef0 100644
--- a/dlib/constexpr_if.h
+++ b/dlib/constexpr_if.h
@@ -13,12 +13,6 @@ namespace dlib
     namespace detail
     {
         const auto _ = [](auto&& arg) -> decltype(auto) { return std::forward<decltype(arg)>(arg); };
-
-        template<typename Void, template <class...> class Op, class... Args>
-        struct is_detected : std::false_type{};
-
-        template<template <class...> class Op, class... Args>
-        struct is_detected<dlib::void_t<Op<Args...>>, Op, Args...> : std::true_type {};
     }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -111,16 +105,9 @@ namespace dlib
     {
         return overloaded(std::forward<Cases>(cases)...)(types_<T>{}..., detail::_);
     }
-// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    template<template <class...> class Op, class... Args>
-    using is_detected = detail::is_detected<void, Op, Args...>;
-    /*!
-        ensures
-            - This is exactly the same as std::experimental::is_detected from library fundamentals v
-    !*/
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 }
 
 #endif //DLIB_IF_CONSTEXPR_H
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dlib/test/invoke.cpp b/dlib/test/invoke.cpp
index 1f8722714..d704c9441 100644
--- a/dlib/test/invoke.cpp
+++ b/dlib/test/invoke.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ namespace
         static_assert(std::is_same<dlib::callable_return<decltype(func_testargs)>,
                                    void>::value, "make this correct");
 
+        static_assert(is_callable<decltype(func_testargs)>::value, "bad");
+
         static_assert(std::is_same<dlib::callable_args<decltype(func_return_addition)>,
                                    dlib::types_<int, int>
                                    >::value, "make this correct");
@@ -111,6 +113,8 @@ namespace
 
         static_assert(std::is_same<dlib::callable_return<decltype(func_return_addition)>,
                                    int>::value, "make this correct");
+        
+        static_assert(is_callable<decltype(func_return_addition)>::value, "bad");
 
         {
             std::string str = run1_str4;
@@ -160,6 +164,8 @@ namespace
             
             static_assert(std::is_same<dlib::callable_return<decltype(f)>,
                                        long>::value, "make this correct");
+            
+            static_assert(is_callable<decltype(f)>::value, "bad");
         }
                 
         {
@@ -228,6 +234,8 @@ namespace
     static_assert(std::is_same<dlib::callable_return<example_struct>,
                                 float>::value, "make this correct");
 
+    static_assert(is_callable<example_struct>::value, "bad");
+
     void test_member_functions_and_data()
     {
         example_struct obj1(10);
@@ -482,6 +490,7 @@ namespace
     {
         template <
           class Callable,
+          std::enable_if_t<is_callable<Callable>::value, bool> = true,
           std::enable_if_t<callable_nargs<Callable>::value >= 1, bool> = true,
           std::enable_if_t<std::is_floating_point<callable_arg<0, Callable>>::value, bool> = true
         >
@@ -499,6 +508,7 @@ namespace
 
         template <
           class Callable,
+          std::enable_if_t<is_callable<Callable>::value, bool> = true,
           std::enable_if_t<callable_nargs<Callable>::value >= 1, bool> = true,
           std::enable_if_t<std::is_integral<callable_arg<0, Callable>>::value, bool> = true
         >
@@ -516,6 +526,7 @@ namespace
 
         template <
           class Callable,
+          std::enable_if_t<is_callable<Callable>::value, bool> = true,
           std::enable_if_t<callable_nargs<Callable>::value < 1, bool> = true
         >
         auto wrap (
@@ -543,6 +554,8 @@ namespace
             const auto f6 = wrap(f3, i);
             DLIB_TEST(i == 3);
         }
+
+        static_assert(!is_callable<int>::value, "bad");
     }
 
     class invoke_tester : public tester
diff --git a/dlib/type_traits.h b/dlib/type_traits.h
index aa0aa7f4f..839105069 100644
--- a/dlib/type_traits.h
+++ b/dlib/type_traits.h
@@ -210,6 +210,24 @@ namespace dlib
     template<class T>
     using is_complete_type = details::is_complete_type<T>;
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    namespace details
+    {
+        template<typename Void, template <class...> class Op, class... Args>
+        struct is_detected : std::false_type{};
+
+        template<template <class...> class Op, class... Args>
+        struct is_detected<dlib::void_t<Op<Args...>>, Op, Args...> : std::true_type {};
+    }
+
+    template<template <class...> class Op, class... Args>
+    using is_detected = details::is_detected<void, Op, Args...>;
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - This is exactly the same as std::experimental::is_detected from library fundamentals v
+    !*/
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
     template<typename... T>
@@ -264,50 +282,71 @@ namespace dlib
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+    namespace details
+    {
+        template<class AlwaysVoid, class F>
+        struct callable_traits
+        {
+            constexpr static bool is_callable = false;
+        };
+
+        template<class AlwaysVoid, class R, class... Args>
+        struct callable_traits<AlwaysVoid, R(Args...)>
+        {
+            using return_type = R;
+            using args        = types_<Args...>;
+            constexpr static std::size_t    nargs       = sizeof...(Args);
+            constexpr static bool           is_callable = true;
+        }; 
+
+        template<class AlwaysVoid, class R, class... Args>
+        struct callable_traits<AlwaysVoid, R(*)(Args...)> 
+        : public callable_traits<AlwaysVoid, R(Args...)>{};
+
+        template<class AlwaysVoid, class C, class R, class... Args>
+        struct callable_traits<AlwaysVoid, R(C::*)(Args...)> 
+        : public callable_traits<AlwaysVoid, R(Args...)>{};
+
+        template<class AlwaysVoid, class C, class R, class... Args>
+        struct callable_traits<AlwaysVoid, R(C::*)(Args...) const> 
+        : public callable_traits<AlwaysVoid, R(Args...)>{};
+
+        template<class F>
+        struct callable_traits<void_t<decltype(&std::decay_t<F>::operator())>, F>
+        : public callable_traits<void, decltype(&std::decay_t<F>::operator())>{};
+    }
+   
     template<class F>
-    struct callable_traits;
+    struct callable_traits : details::callable_traits<void, F> {};
     /*!
         WHAT THIS OBJECT REPRESENTS
-            This is a type trait for callable types like function pointers, functors and lambdas.
-            It provides the following types:
+            This is a type trait for callable types.
+
+            If the template parameter F is function pointer, functor or lambda then
+            it provides the following types:
                 return_type : the return type of the callable object
                 args        : a parameter pack packaged in a types_<> meta container containing
                               all the function argument types
             It also provides the following static members:
                 nargs       : the number of function arguments
+                is_callable : a boolean which determines whether F is callable. In this case, it is true
+            
+            If the template parameter F is not function-like object, then it provides:
+                is_callable : false
             
             For example, a function type F with signature R(T1, T2, T3) has the following traits:
                 callable_traits<F>::return_type == R
                 callable_traits<F>::args        == types_<T1,T2,T3>
                 callable_traits<F>::nargs       == 3
+                callable_traits<F>::is_callable == true
+
+            Another example:
+                callable_traits<int>::is_callable == false
+                callable_traits<int>::return_type == does not exist. Compile error
+                callable_traits<int>::args        == does not exist. Compile error
+                callable_traits<int>::nargs       == does not exist. Compile error
     !*/
 
-    template<class R, class... Args>
-    struct callable_traits<R(Args...)>
-    {
-        using return_type = R;
-        using args        = types_<Args...>;
-        constexpr static std::size_t nargs = sizeof...(Args);
-    };  
-
-    template<class R, class... Args>
-    struct callable_traits<R(*)(Args...)> : public callable_traits<R(Args...)>{};
-
-    template<class C, class R, class... Args>
-    struct callable_traits<R(C::*)(Args...)> : public callable_traits<R(Args...)>{};
-
-    template<class C, class R, class... Args>
-    struct callable_traits<R(C::*)(Args...) const> : public callable_traits<R(Args...)>{};
-
-    template<class F>
-    struct callable_traits
-    {
-        using call_type     = callable_traits<decltype(&std::decay_t<F>::operator())>;
-        using return_type   = typename call_type::return_type;
-        using args          = typename call_type::args;
-        constexpr static std::size_t nargs = call_type::nargs;
-    };
-
     template<class Callable>
     using callable_args = typename callable_traits<Callable>::args;
 
@@ -320,6 +359,9 @@ namespace dlib
     template<class Callable>
     using callable_return = typename callable_traits<Callable>::return_type;
 
+    template<class F>
+    using is_callable = std::integral_constant<bool, callable_traits<F>::is_callable>;
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 }