diff --git a/src/foreign_array.hpp b/src/foreign_array.hpp
index 5021bf9bc610283e3216a28d93687709a54508df..ad1d7858d9fa21fb3835a17cce601d97161e8bd5 100644
--- a/src/foreign_array.hpp
+++ b/src/foreign_array.hpp
@@ -127,6 +127,11 @@ class tReadOnlyForeignArray : public tSizeChangeNotifier, public tSizeChangeNoti
       return Unit;
     }
 
+    bool is_allocated()
+    {
+      return Contents != NULL;
+    }
+
     void deallocate()
     {
       if (Contents != NULL)
diff --git a/src/foreign_array_wrap.hpp b/src/foreign_array_wrap.hpp
index 4d5860667e900050f4b34af0959a37789dc4dcd4..56cd4267332b5f525a3f8b2153a2cc1b65658392 100644
--- a/src/foreign_array_wrap.hpp
+++ b/src/foreign_array_wrap.hpp
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ void exposePODForeignArray(const std::string &name)
     .def("resize", &cl::setSize)
     .def("setup", &cl::setup)
     .add_property("unit", &cl::unit)
+    .add_property("allocated", &cl::is_allocated)
     .def("__getitem__", (object (*)(cl &, long)) &w_cl::getitem)
     .def("__getitem__", (object (*)(cl &, tuple)) &w_cl::getitem)
     .def("__setitem__", (void (*)(cl &, long, object)) &w_cl::setitem)
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ void exposeStructureForeignArray(const std::string &name)
     .def("resize", &cl::setSize)
     .def("setup", &cl::setup)
     .add_property("unit", &cl::unit)
+    .add_property("allocated", &cl::is_allocated)
     .def("__getitem__", &w_cl::getitem, return_internal_reference<>())
     .def("deallocate", &cl::deallocate)
     ;