diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/SummaryState.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/SummaryState.hpp
index 3b602803f..a8cb6b9e2 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/SummaryState.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/SummaryState.hpp
@@ -82,7 +82,9 @@ public:
 
     bool has(const std::string& key) const;
     bool has_well_var(const std::string& well, const std::string& var) const;
+    bool has_well_var(const std::string& var) const;
     bool has_group_var(const std::string& group, const std::string& var) const;
+    bool has_group_var(const std::string& var) const;
 
     void update(const std::string& key, double value);
     void update_well_var(const std::string& well, const std::string& var, double value);
diff --git a/python/cxx/summary_state.cpp b/python/cxx/summary_state.cpp
index 6299bc4a4..e9ce2b2a4 100644
--- a/python/cxx/summary_state.cpp
+++ b/python/cxx/summary_state.cpp
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void python::common::export_SummaryState(py::module& module) {
         .def_property_readonly("groups", groups)
         .def_property_readonly("wells", wells)
         .def("__contains__", &SummaryState::has)
-        .def("has_well_var", &SummaryState::has_well_var)
-        .def("has_group_var", &SummaryState::has_group_var)
+        .def("has_well_var", py::overload_cast<const std::string&, const std::string&>(&SummaryState::has_well_var, py::const_))
+        .def("has_group_var", py::overload_cast<const std::string&, const std::string&>(&SummaryState::has_group_var, py::const_))
         .def("__getitem__", py::overload_cast<const std::string&>(&SummaryState::get, py::const_));
 }
diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/SummaryState.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/SummaryState.cpp
index 24b560252..be8445b82 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/SummaryState.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/SummaryState.cpp
@@ -228,6 +228,10 @@ namespace {
         return has_var(this->well_values, var, well);
     }
 
+    bool SummaryState::has_well_var(const std::string& var) const {
+        return this->well_values.count(var) != 0;
+    }
+
     double SummaryState::get_well_var(const std::string& well, const std::string& var) const {
         return this->well_values.at(var).at(well);
     }
@@ -243,6 +247,10 @@ namespace {
         return has_var(this->group_values, var, group);
     }
 
+    bool SummaryState::has_group_var(const std::string& var) const {
+        return this->group_values.count(var) != 0;
+    }
+
     double SummaryState::get_group_var(const std::string& group, const std::string& var) const {
         return this->group_values.at(var).at(group);
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_Summary.cpp b/tests/test_Summary.cpp
index 8137a6233..f30638e30 100755
--- a/tests/test_Summary.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_Summary.cpp
@@ -1884,7 +1884,8 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(Test_SummaryState) {
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( wopr_wells.size() , 0U);
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( st.get_well_var("OP99", "WWCT", 0.50), 0.50);
-
+    BOOST_CHECK( st.has_well_var("WWCT") );
+    BOOST_CHECK( !st.has_well_var("NO_SUCH_VARIABLE") );
 
     const auto& wwct_wells = st.wells("WWCT");
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( wwct_wells.size(), 2U);
@@ -1896,6 +1897,8 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(Test_SummaryState) {
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( st.get_group_var("G1", "GWCT"), 0.25);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( st.get_group_var("G1", "GWCT"), st.get("GWCT:G1"));
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( st.get_group_var("G99", "GWCT", 1.00), 1.00);
+    BOOST_CHECK( !st.has_group_var("NO_SUCH_VARIABLE"));
+    BOOST_CHECK( st.has_group_var("GWCT"));
     const auto& gopr_groups = st.groups("GOPR");
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( gopr_groups.size() , 0U);