diff --git a/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.C b/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.C
index 457f8cd5fd049c3b5fe1aeb9c4968391f12eb6c6..156f95bafedea37bd8356e45c688846b3b33c025 100644
--- a/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.C
+++ b/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.C
@@ -1000,6 +1000,12 @@ Foam::label& Foam::faMesh::comm()
 }
 
 
+bool Foam::faMesh::hasDb() const
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
+
 const Foam::objectRegistry& Foam::faMesh::thisDb() const
 {
     return mesh().thisDb();
diff --git a/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.H b/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.H
index 91d64fdab2dacc12a6e199d185b46ba5502ad05a..a2ca4fa06beac3f4dda5e68bcef2bc2daa90b535 100644
--- a/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.H
+++ b/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.H
@@ -405,6 +405,9 @@ public:
 
         // Access
 
+            //- Return true if thisDb() is a valid DB
+            virtual bool hasDb() const;
+
             //- Return reference to the mesh database
             virtual const objectRegistry& thisDb() const;