Mudslides are landslides which usually reactivate. A simplified method for the assessment of the reactivation potential of narrow mudslides is proposed here. The method uses the factor of safety, calculated by the limit equilibrium technique, but incorporating an additional strength component due to friction in the lateral margins of the mudslide, a component which typically is neglected. The approach requires a detailed geomorphological reconnaissance of the mudslide to locate the sliding surface from transversal cross-sections. The method was applied to three mudslides in the eastern Pyrenees. The safety factor was calculated hypothesizing the depth of the water table in the mudslide body. The results show that the lateral strength component is highly important and that the three mudslides will probably reactivate in the future. The technique was checked by comparing the safety factors calculated with the frequency of past reactivations, which was obtained independently by dendrochronological dating.