Pharmacological chaperones (PCs) are small molecules that stabilize and promote protein folding. Enzyme inhibition is widely used for PC selection; however, it does not accurately reflect chaperone activity. We introduce a functional assay for characterization of PCs based on their capacity to restore enzyme activity that is abolished upon chemical denaturation. Dose-dependent activity curves were performed as a function of urea to assess the chaperone potency of various ligands to β-glucocerebrosidase as a model system. Restoration of enzyme activity upon denaturation allows direct screening of PCs for treatment of genetic disorders associated with protein deficiency, such as Gaucher disease.