diff --git a/gtsam.h b/gtsam.h
index 97eb2d8c3..826f8472e 100644
--- a/gtsam.h
+++ b/gtsam.h
@@ -248,6 +248,9 @@ class FactorIndices {
 
 /** gtsam namespace functions */
 
+#include <gtsam/base/debug.h>
+bool isDebugVersion();
+
 #include <gtsam/base/DSFMap.h>
 class IndexPair { 
   IndexPair(); 
diff --git a/gtsam/base/debug.cpp b/gtsam/base/debug.cpp
index 1c4d08dcd..d6d2a4fe0 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/debug.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/base/debug.cpp
@@ -47,4 +47,15 @@ void guardedSetDebug(const std::string& s, const bool v) {
   gtsam::debugFlags[s] = v;
 }
 
+bool isDebugVersion() {
+#ifdef NDEBUG
+  // nondebug
+  return false;
+#else
+  // debug
+  return true;
+#endif
+
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/gtsam/base/debug.h b/gtsam/base/debug.h
index e21efcc83..7fa943503 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/debug.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/debug.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ namespace gtsam {
   // Non-guarded use led to crashes, and solved in commit cd35db2
   bool GTSAM_EXPORT guardedIsDebug(const std::string& s);
   void GTSAM_EXPORT guardedSetDebug(const std::string& s, const bool v);
+  bool GTSAM_EXPORT isDebugVersion();
 }
 
 #undef ISDEBUG