diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a082cc05a..49c944bf3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ set(OPM_MACROS_ROOT ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR})
 option(ENABLE_ECL_INPUT "Enable eclipse input support?" ON)
 option(ENABLE_ECL_OUTPUT "Enable eclipse output support?" ON)
 option(ENABLE_MOCKSIM "Build the mock simulator for io testing" ON)
+option(ENABLE_WELL_TEST "Enable testing of well code when building Schedule object" OFF)
+
+if (ENABLE_WELL_TEST)
+  add_definitions(-DWELL_TEST)
+endif()
 
 # Output implies input
 if(ENABLE_ECL_OUTPUT)
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Schedule.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Schedule.hpp
index 53f557b22..1bee0e1b6 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Schedule.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Schedule.hpp
@@ -257,6 +257,9 @@ namespace Opm
         static double convertInjectionRateToSI(double rawRate, Phase wellPhase, const Opm::UnitSystem &unitSystem);
         static bool convertEclipseStringToBool(const std::string& eclipseString);
 
+#ifdef CHECK_WELLS
+        bool checkWells(const ParseContext& parseContext, ErrorGuard& errors) const;
+#endif
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Schedule.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Schedule.cpp
index e71f9ffc7..d89fdf097 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Schedule.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Schedule.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ namespace Opm {
 
         if (Section::hasSCHEDULE(deck))
             iterateScheduleSection( parseContext, errors, SCHEDULESection( deck ), grid, eclipseProperties );
+
+#ifdef CHECK_WELLS
+        checkWells(parseContext, errors);
+#endif
+
     }
 
 
@@ -2214,5 +2219,10 @@ namespace Opm {
 
     }
 
-}
 
+#ifdef CHECK_WELLS
+    bool checkWells(const ParseContext& parseContext, ErrorGuard& errors) const {
+        return true;
+    }
+#endif
+}