diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/introspection.js b/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/introspection.js
index 9b7e7f9813..342bba3e2f 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/introspection.js
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/introspection.js
@@ -12,54 +12,7 @@ import * as t from "babel-types";
  */
 
 export function matchesPattern(pattern: string, allowPartial?: boolean): boolean {
-  // not a member expression
-  if (!this.isMemberExpression()) return false;
-
-  const parts = pattern.split(".");
-  const search = [this.node];
-  let i = 0;
-
-  function matches(name) {
-    const part = parts[i];
-    return part === "*" || name === part;
-  }
-
-  while (search.length) {
-    const node = search.shift();
-
-    if (allowPartial && i === parts.length) {
-      return true;
-    }
-
-    if (t.isIdentifier(node)) {
-      // this part doesn't match
-      if (!matches(node.name)) return false;
-    } else if (t.isLiteral(node)) {
-      // this part doesn't match
-      if (!matches(node.value)) return false;
-    } else if (t.isMemberExpression(node)) {
-      if (node.computed && !t.isLiteral(node.property)) {
-        // we can't deal with this
-        return false;
-      } else {
-        search.unshift(node.property);
-        search.unshift(node.object);
-        continue;
-      }
-    } else if (t.isThisExpression(node)) {
-      if (!matches("this")) return false;
-    } else {
-      // we can't deal with this
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    // too many parts
-    if (++i > parts.length) {
-      return false;
-    }
-  }
-
-  return i === parts.length;
+  return t.matchesPattern(this.node, pattern, allowPartial);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/babel-types/src/index.js b/packages/babel-types/src/index.js
index abee71ad06..a07cdf48c5 100644
--- a/packages/babel-types/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-types/src/index.js
@@ -314,6 +314,51 @@ export function cloneDeep(node: Object): Object {
   return newNode;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Determines whether or not the input node `member` matches the
+ * input `match`.
+ *
+ * For example, given the match `React.createClass` it would match the
+ * parsed nodes of `React.createClass` and `React["createClass"]`.
+ */
+
+export function matchesPattern(
+  member: Object,
+  match: string | Array<string>,
+  allowPartial?: boolean
+): boolean {
+  // not a member expression
+  if (!t.isMemberExpression(member)) return false;
+
+  const parts = Array.isArray(match) ? match : match.split(".");
+  const nodes = [];
+
+  let node;
+  for (node = member; t.isMemberExpression(node); node = node.object) {
+    nodes.push(node.property);
+  }
+  nodes.push(node);
+
+  if (nodes.length < parts.length) return false;
+  if (!allowPartial && nodes.length > parts.length) return false;
+
+  for (let i = 0, j = nodes.length - 1; i < parts.length; i++, j--) {
+    const node = nodes[j];
+    let value;
+    if (t.isIdentifier(node)) {
+      value = node.name;
+    } else if (t.isStringLiteral(node)) {
+      value = node.value;
+    } else {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    if (parts[i] !== value) return false;
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * Build a function that when called will return whether or not the
  * input `node` `MemberExpression` matches the input `match`.
@@ -322,50 +367,10 @@ export function cloneDeep(node: Object): Object {
  * parsed nodes of `React.createClass` and `React["createClass"]`.
  */
 
-export function buildMatchMemberExpression(match:string, allowPartial?: boolean): Function {
+export function buildMatchMemberExpression(match: string, allowPartial?: boolean): (Object) => boolean {
   const parts = match.split(".");
-
   return function (member) {
-    // not a member expression
-    if (!t.isMemberExpression(member)) return false;
-
-    const search = [member];
-    let i = 0;
-
-    while (search.length) {
-      const node = search.shift();
-
-      if (allowPartial && i === parts.length) {
-        return true;
-      }
-
-      if (t.isIdentifier(node)) {
-        // this part doesn't match
-        if (parts[i] !== node.name) return false;
-      } else if (t.isStringLiteral(node)) {
-        // this part doesn't match
-        if (parts[i] !== node.value) return false;
-      } else if (t.isMemberExpression(node)) {
-        if (node.computed && !t.isStringLiteral(node.property)) {
-          // we can't deal with this
-          return false;
-        } else {
-          search.push(node.object);
-          search.push(node.property);
-          continue;
-        }
-      } else {
-        // we can't deal with this
-        return false;
-      }
-
-      // too many parts
-      if (++i > parts.length) {
-        return false;
-      }
-    }
-
-    return true;
+    return matchesPattern(member, parts, allowPartial);
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/babel-types/test/misc.js b/packages/babel-types/test/misc.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d49b675be4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-types/test/misc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import * as t from "../lib";
+import { assert } from "chai";
+import { parse } from "babylon";
+
+function parseCode(string) {
+  return parse(string, {
+    allowReturnOutsideFunction: true,
+  }).program.body[0];
+}
+
+describe("misc helpers", function () {
+  describe("matchesPattern", function () {
+    it("matches explicitly", function () {
+      const ast = parseCode("a.b.c.d").expression;
+      assert(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c.d"));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c"));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "b.c.d"));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c.d.e"));
+    });
+
+    it("matches partially", function () {
+      const ast = parseCode("a.b.c.d").expression;
+      assert(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c.d", true));
+      assert(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c", true));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "b.c.d", true));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c.d.e", true));
+    });
+
+    it("matches string literal expressions", function () {
+      const ast = parseCode("a['b'].c.d").expression;
+      assert(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c.d"));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c"));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "b.c.d"));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c.d.e"));
+    });
+
+    it("matches string literal expressions partially", function () {
+      const ast = parseCode("a['b'].c.d").expression;
+      assert(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c.d", true));
+      assert(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c", true));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "b.c.d", true));
+      assert.isFalse(t.matchesPattern(ast, "a.b.c.d.e", true));
+    });
+  });
+});