diff --git a/skimage/_shared/safe_as_int.py b/skimage/_shared/safe_as_int.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0d665f9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skimage/_shared/safe_as_int.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import numpy as np
+
+__all__ = ['_safe_as_int']
+
+
+def _safe_as_int(val, atol=1e-7):
+    """
+    Attempt to safely cast values to integer format.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    val : scalar or iterable of scalars
+        Number or container of numbers which are intended to be interpreted as
+        integers, e.g., for indexing purposes, but which may not carry integer
+        type.
+    atol : float
+        Absolute tolerance away from nearest integer to consider values in
+        ``val`` functionally integers.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    val_int : NumPy scalar or ndarray of dtype `np.int64`
+        Returns the input value(s) coerced to dtype `np.int64` assuming all
+        were within ``atol`` of the nearest integer.
+
+    Notes
+    -----
+    This operation calculates ``val`` modulo 1, which returns the mantissa of
+    all values. Then all mantissas greater than 0.5 are subtracted from one.
+    Finally, the absolute tolerance from zero is calculated. If it is less
+    than ``atol`` for all value(s) in ``val``, they are rounded and returned
+    in an integer array. Or, if ``val`` was a scalar, a NumPy scalar type is
+    returned.
+
+    If any value(s) are outside the specified tolerance, an informative error
+    is raised.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> _safe_as_int(7.0)
+    7
+
+    >>> _safe_as_int([9, 4, 2.9999999999])
+    array([9, 4, 3], dtype=int32)
+
+    >>> _safe_as_int(53.01)
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+        ...
+    ValueError: Integer argument required but received 53.1, check inputs.
+
+    >>> _safe_as_int(53.01, atol=0.01)
+    53
+
+    """
+    mod = np.asarray(val) % 1                # Extract mantissa
+
+    # Check for and subtract any mod values > 0.5 from 1
+    if mod.ndim == 0:                        # Scalar input, cannot be indexed
+        if mod > 0.5:
+            mod = 1 - mod
+    else:                                    # Iterable input, now ndarray
+        mod[mod > 0.5] = 1 - mod[mod > 0.5]  # Test on each side of nearest int
+
+    try:
+        np.testing.assert_allclose(mod, 0, atol=atol)
+    except AssertionError:
+        raise ValueError("Integer argument required but received "
+                         "{0}, check inputs.".format(val))
+
+    return np.round(val).astype(np.int64)
diff --git a/skimage/_shared/tests/test_safe_as_int.py b/skimage/_shared/tests/test_safe_as_int.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a3674e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skimage/_shared/tests/test_safe_as_int.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import numpy as np
+from skimage._shared.safe_int_cast import _safe_as_int
+
+
+def test_int_cast_not_possible():
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, 7.1)
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, [7.1, 0.9])
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, np.r_[7.1, 0.9])
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, (7.1, 0.9))
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, ((3,   4,   1),
+                                                          (2, 7.6, 289)))
+
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, 7.1, 0.09)
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, [7.1, 0.9], 0.09)
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, np.r_[7.1, 0.9], 0.09)
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, (7.1, 0.9), 0.09)
+    np.testing.assert_raises(ValueError, _safe_as_int, ((3,   4,   1),
+                                                          (2, 7.6, 289)), 0.25)
+
+
+def test_int_cast_possible():
+    np.testing.assert_equal(_safe_as_int(7.1, atol=0.11), 7)
+    np.testing.assert_equal(_safe_as_int(-7.1, atol=0.11), -7)
+    np.testing.assert_equal(_safe_as_int(41.9, atol=0.11), 42)
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(_safe_as_int([2, 42, 5789234.0, 87, 4]),
+                                  np.r_[2, 42, 5789234, 87, 4])
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(_safe_as_int(np.r_[[[3, 4,  1.000000001],
+                                                        [7, 2, -8.999999999],
+                                                        [6, 9, -4234918347.]]]),
+                                  np.r_[[[3, 4,           1],
+                                         [7, 2,          -9],
+                                         [6, 9, -4234918347]]])
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    np.testing.run_module_suite()