diff --git a/src/glow/glow.cc b/src/glow/glow.cc
index 663d8e2dbdee8c569f0081fa14de49fd0f5d7fe9..562dc25c9f7dc33a96ef1c528f02339f43fc7818 100644
--- a/src/glow/glow.cc
+++ b/src/glow/glow.cc
@@ -91,3 +91,5 @@ void glow::checkValidGLOW()
         glow::error() << "ERROR: GLOW is not initialized OR called from wrong thread.";
 }
 #endif
+
+bool glow::isInitialized() { return _isGlowInitialized; }
diff --git a/src/glow/glow.hh b/src/glow/glow.hh
index 39d1b6e5abe753dff28d5b58746e3e92ad0fab96..ebc080942cfee758cff0ab5dddff4a51ccba4ad6 100644
--- a/src/glow/glow.hh
+++ b/src/glow/glow.hh
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ extern struct _glowGLVersion
  */
 bool initGLOW();
 
+/// returns true if glow is initialized in this thread
+bool isInitialized();
+
 /// Asserts that glow is initialized
 /// Fails if not initialized OR wrong thread
 #ifdef GLOW_PERFORM_VALIDATION