diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index d191d2e19c8..e04832eba15 100644
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -1,3 +1,21 @@
+# In Progress
+
+## New features
+
+## Improvements
+
+* Added support for indicating zero-value metadata by returning `value_num` == 1 from the `_get_metadatata` and `Array::get_metadata` APIs [#1438](https://github.com/TileDB-Inc/TileDB/pull/1438) (this is a non-breaking change, as the documented return of `value == nullptr` to indicate missing keys does not change)`
+
+## Deprecations
+
+## Bug fixes
+
+## API additions
+
+* Added C API function `tiledb_array_has_metadata_key` and C++ API function `Array::has_metadata_key` [#1439](https://github.com/TileDB-Inc/TileDB/pull/1439)
+
+## API removals
+
 # TileDB v1.7.0 Release Notes
 
 TileDB 1.7.0 contains the new feature of array metadata, and numerous bugfixes.
diff --git a/test/src/unit-capi-metadata.cc b/test/src/unit-capi-metadata.cc
index 00ec66903c2..e5e33486023 100644
--- a/test/src/unit-capi-metadata.cc
+++ b/test/src/unit-capi-metadata.cc
@@ -285,6 +285,22 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(
   CHECK(key_len == strlen("bb"));
   CHECK(!strncmp(key, "bb", strlen("bb")));
 
+  // Check has_key
+  int32_t has_key = 0;
+  rc = tiledb_array_has_metadata_key(ctx_, array, "bb", &v_type, &has_key);
+  CHECK(rc == TILEDB_OK);
+  CHECK(v_type == TILEDB_FLOAT32);
+  CHECK(has_key == 1);
+
+  // Check not has_key
+  v_type = (tiledb_datatype_t)std::numeric_limits<int32_t>::max();
+  rc = tiledb_array_has_metadata_key(
+      ctx_, array, "non-existent-key", &v_type, &has_key);
+  CHECK(rc == TILEDB_OK);
+  // The API does not touch v_type when no key is found.
+  CHECK((int32_t)v_type == std::numeric_limits<int32_t>::max());
+  CHECK(has_key == 0);
+
   // Close array
   rc = tiledb_array_close(ctx_, array);
   REQUIRE(rc == TILEDB_OK);
diff --git a/test/src/unit-cppapi-metadata.cc b/test/src/unit-cppapi-metadata.cc
index 266e7583a06..e3c2eba93bb 100644
--- a/test/src/unit-cppapi-metadata.cc
+++ b/test/src/unit-cppapi-metadata.cc
@@ -248,6 +248,19 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(
   CHECK(key.size() == strlen("bb"));
   CHECK(!strncmp(key.data(), "bb", strlen("bb")));
 
+  // Check has_key
+  bool has_key;
+  v_type = (tiledb_datatype_t)std::numeric_limits<int32_t>::max();
+  has_key = array.has_metadata("bb", &v_type);
+  CHECK(has_key == true);
+  CHECK(v_type == TILEDB_FLOAT32);
+
+  // Check not has_key
+  v_type = (tiledb_datatype_t)std::numeric_limits<int32_t>::max();
+  has_key = array.has_metadata("non-existent-key", &v_type);
+  CHECK(has_key == false);
+  CHECK(v_type == std::numeric_limits<int32_t>::max());
+
   // Close array
   array.close();
 }
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/array/array.cc b/tiledb/sm/array/array.cc
index 9dbd0fa8327..0ec63e9c3e5 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/array/array.cc
+++ b/tiledb/sm/array/array.cc
@@ -629,6 +629,29 @@ Status Array::get_metadata_num(uint64_t* num) const {
   return Status::Ok();
 }
 
+Status Array::has_metadata_key(
+    const char* key, Datatype* value_type, bool* has_key) {
+  // Check if array is open
+  if (!is_open_)
+    return LOG_STATUS(
+        Status::ArrayError("Cannot get metadata; Array is not open"));
+
+  // Check mode
+  if (query_type_ != QueryType::READ)
+    return LOG_STATUS(
+        Status::ArrayError("Cannot get metadata; Array was "
+                           "not opened in read mode"));
+
+  // Check if key is null
+  if (key == nullptr)
+    return LOG_STATUS(
+        Status::ArrayError("Cannot get metadata; Key cannot be null"));
+
+  RETURN_NOT_OK(metadata_.has_key(key, value_type, has_key));
+
+  return Status::Ok();
+}
+
 Metadata* Array::metadata() {
   return &metadata_;
 }
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/array/array.h b/tiledb/sm/array/array.h
index 1995c0aef04..41099c306ea 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/array/array.h
+++ b/tiledb/sm/array/array.h
@@ -297,6 +297,9 @@ class Array {
   /** Returns the number of array metadata items. */
   Status get_metadata_num(uint64_t* num) const;
 
+  /** Sets has_key == 1 and corresponding value_type if the array has key. */
+  Status has_metadata_key(const char* key, Datatype* value_type, bool* has_key);
+
   /** Returns the array metadata object. */
   Metadata* metadata();
 
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/c_api/tiledb.cc b/tiledb/sm/c_api/tiledb.cc
index 4a0d287a294..bdd65317c8b 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/c_api/tiledb.cc
+++ b/tiledb/sm/c_api/tiledb.cc
@@ -3385,6 +3385,29 @@ int32_t tiledb_array_get_metadata_from_index(
   return TILEDB_OK;
 }
 
+int32_t tiledb_array_has_metadata_key(
+    tiledb_ctx_t* ctx,
+    tiledb_array_t* array,
+    const char* key,
+    tiledb_datatype_t* value_type,
+    int32_t* has_key) {
+  if (sanity_check(ctx) == TILEDB_ERR || sanity_check(ctx, array) == TILEDB_ERR)
+    return TILEDB_ERR;
+
+  // Check whether metadata has_key
+  bool has_the_key;
+  tiledb::sm::Datatype type;
+  if (SAVE_ERROR_CATCH(
+          ctx, array->array_->has_metadata_key(key, &type, &has_the_key)))
+    return TILEDB_ERR;
+
+  *has_key = has_the_key ? 1 : 0;
+  if (has_the_key) {
+    *value_type = static_cast<tiledb_datatype_t>(type);
+  }
+  return TILEDB_OK;
+}
+
 int32_t tiledb_array_consolidate_metadata(
     tiledb_ctx_t* ctx, const char* array_uri, tiledb_config_t* config) {
   return tiledb_array_consolidate_metadata_with_key(
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/c_api/tiledb.h b/tiledb/sm/c_api/tiledb.h
index 4f6ac86e172..eb4cb451bfa 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/c_api/tiledb.h
+++ b/tiledb/sm/c_api/tiledb.h
@@ -4118,6 +4118,26 @@ TILEDB_EXPORT int32_t tiledb_array_get_metadata_from_index(
     uint32_t* value_num,
     const void** value);
 
+/**
+ * Checks whether a key exists in metadata from an open array. The array must
+ * be opened in READ mode, otherwise the function will error out.
+ *
+ * @param ctx The TileDB context.
+ * @param array An array opened in READ mode.
+ * @param key The key to be checked. UTF-8 encoding are acceptable.
+ * @param value_type The datatype of the value, if any.
+ * @param has_key Set to `1` if the metadata with given key exists, else `0`.
+ * @return `TILEDB_OK` for success and `TILEDB_ERR` for error.
+ *
+ * @note If the key does not exist, then `value` will be NULL.
+ */
+TILEDB_EXPORT int32_t tiledb_array_has_metadata_key(
+    tiledb_ctx_t* ctx,
+    tiledb_array_t* array,
+    const char* key,
+    tiledb_datatype_t* value_type,
+    int32_t* has_key);
+
 /**
  * Consolidates the array metadata into a single array metadata file.
  *
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/cpp_api/array.h b/tiledb/sm/cpp_api/array.h
index b547ae8f896..cb3ca849328 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/cpp_api/array.h
+++ b/tiledb/sm/cpp_api/array.h
@@ -1084,6 +1084,26 @@ class Array {
         c_ctx, array_.get(), key.c_str(), value_type, value_num, value));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Checks if key exists in metadata from an open array. The array must
+   * be opened in READ mode, otherwise the function will error out.
+   *
+   * @param key The key of the metadata item to be retrieved. UTF-8 encodings
+   *     are acceptable.
+   * @param value_type The datatype of the value associated with the key (if
+   * any).
+   * @return true if the key exists, else false.
+   * @note If the key does not exist, then `value_type` will not be modified.
+   */
+  bool has_metadata(const std::string& key, tiledb_datatype_t* value_type) {
+    auto& ctx = ctx_.get();
+    tiledb_ctx_t* c_ctx = ctx.ptr().get();
+    int32_t has_key;
+    ctx.handle_error(tiledb_array_has_metadata_key(
+        c_ctx, array_.get(), key.c_str(), value_type, &has_key));
+    return has_key == 1;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns then number of metadata items in an open array. The array must
    * be opened in READ mode, otherwise the function will error out.
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/metadata/metadata.cc b/tiledb/sm/metadata/metadata.cc
index 0e5df1de86c..abd2b4db243 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/metadata/metadata.cc
+++ b/tiledb/sm/metadata/metadata.cc
@@ -234,6 +234,24 @@ Status Metadata::get(
   return Status::Ok();
 }
 
+Status Metadata::has_key(const char* key, Datatype* value_type, bool* has_key) {
+  assert(key != nullptr);
+
+  auto it = metadata_map_.find(key);
+  if (it == metadata_map_.end()) {
+    // Key not found
+    *has_key = false;
+    return Status::Ok();
+  }
+
+  // Key found
+  auto& value_struct = it->second;
+  *value_type = static_cast<Datatype>(value_struct.type_);
+  *has_key = true;
+
+  return Status::Ok();
+}
+
 uint64_t Metadata::num() const {
   return metadata_map_.size();
 }
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/metadata/metadata.h b/tiledb/sm/metadata/metadata.h
index 1313d24c5eb..c75436386e7 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/metadata/metadata.h
+++ b/tiledb/sm/metadata/metadata.h
@@ -155,6 +155,17 @@ class Metadata {
   /** Returns the number of metadata items. */
   uint64_t num() const;
 
+  /**
+   * Checks if metadata has specified key.
+   *
+   * @param key The metadata key.
+   * @param value_type The datatype of the value.
+   * @param value Set to `1` if the array metadata has a key of the
+   *      given name, else `0`.
+   * @return Status
+   */
+  Status has_key(const char* key, Datatype* value_type, bool* has_key);
+
   /**
    * Sets the URIs of the metadata files that have been loaded
    * to this object.