diff --git a/src/blackcore/application.cpp b/src/blackcore/application.cpp
index fefa49e80..220840c9c 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/application.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/application.cpp
@@ -1434,11 +1434,17 @@ namespace BlackCore
 
     QPointer<ISimulator> CApplication::getISimulator() const
     {
-        if (!this->getCoreFacade()) { return nullptr; }
-        if (!this->getCoreFacade()->getCContextSimulator()) { return nullptr; }
+        if (!this->hasSimulator()) { return nullptr; }
         return this->getCoreFacade()->getCContextSimulator()->simulator();
     }
 
+    bool CApplication::hasSimulator() const
+    {
+        if (!this->getCoreFacade()) { return false; }
+        if (!this->getCoreFacade()->getIContextSimulator()->isUsingImplementingObject()) { return false; }
+        return (this->getCoreFacade()->getCContextSimulator()); // should always be true
+    }
+
     void CApplication::cmdLineHelpMessage()
     {
         m_parser.showHelp(); // terminates
diff --git a/src/blackcore/application.h b/src/blackcore/application.h
index 209e16437..2455ba397 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/application.h
+++ b/src/blackcore/application.h
@@ -331,6 +331,9 @@ namespace BlackCore
         //! The simulator plugin, if available
         QPointer<ISimulator> getISimulator() const;
 
+        //! Simulator object available?
+        bool hasSimulator() const;
+
         // ----------------------- contexts ----------------------------------------
 
         //! \name Context / core facade related