diff --git a/returnn/frontend/_backend.py b/returnn/frontend/_backend.py
index 0fe70b6fd..1c737b747 100644
--- a/returnn/frontend/_backend.py
+++ b/returnn/frontend/_backend.py
@@ -1329,6 +1329,13 @@ def get_selected_backend() -> Optional[str]:
     return global_backend.__class__.name
 
 
+def is_executing_eagerly() -> bool:
+    """
+    :return: whether the current selected backend is executing eagerly
+    """
+    return global_backend.executing_eagerly()
+
+
 def select_backend_tf():
     """
     Selects the RETURNN layers backend (based on TF).
diff --git a/returnn/frontend/backend.py b/returnn/frontend/backend.py
index 81e62f029..da6d1416a 100644
--- a/returnn/frontend/backend.py
+++ b/returnn/frontend/backend.py
@@ -7,13 +7,20 @@
 from . import _backend
 
 # And some functions from the internal backend API.
-from ._backend import select_backend, get_selected_backend, select_backend_torch, select_backend_returnn_layers_tf
+from ._backend import (
+    select_backend,
+    get_selected_backend,
+    select_backend_torch,
+    select_backend_returnn_layers_tf,
+    is_executing_eagerly,
+)
 
 __all__ = [
     "select_backend",
     "get_selected_backend",
     "select_backend_torch",
     "select_backend_returnn_layers_tf",
+    "is_executing_eagerly",
     "is_backend_raw_tensor_dim_tag_independent",
 ]