diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserRecord.cpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserRecord.cpp
index da9452ff4..757dcb089 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserRecord.cpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserRecord.cpp
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ namespace Opm {
             throw std::out_of_range("Out of range");
     }
 
+    bool ParserRecord::hasItem(const std::string& itemName) const {
+        if (m_itemMap.find(itemName) == m_itemMap.end())
+            return false;
+        else
+            return true;
+    }
+
     ParserItemConstPtr ParserRecord::get(const std::string& itemName) const {
         if (m_itemMap.find(itemName) == m_itemMap.end())
             throw std::invalid_argument("Itemname: " + itemName + " does not exist.");
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserRecord.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserRecord.hpp
index b0d090236..de5a5a8ce 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserRecord.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserRecord.hpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ namespace Opm {
         bool isDataRecord() const;
         bool equal(const ParserRecord& other) const;
         bool hasDimension() const;
+        bool hasItem(const std::string& itemName) const;
         void applyUnitsToDeck(std::shared_ptr<const Deck> deck , std::shared_ptr<const DeckRecord> deckRecord) const;
         std::vector<ParserItemConstPtr>::const_iterator begin() const;
         std::vector<ParserItemConstPtr>::const_iterator end() const;