diff --git a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/core/visualization/DebugDrawerTopic.cpp b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/core/visualization/DebugDrawerTopic.cpp
index a338427b72b18b65f7afd1ad56818c8f59b9fd4d..04154b58ecc544c853838f2d2729f6bd105b1cd1 100644
--- a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/core/visualization/DebugDrawerTopic.cpp
+++ b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/core/visualization/DebugDrawerTopic.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ namespace armarx
 
     void DebugDrawerTopic::clearAll(bool sleep)
     {
-        if (topic)
+        if (enabled())
         {
             topic->clearAll();
             if (sleep)
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ namespace armarx
 
     void DebugDrawerTopic::clearLayer(const std::string& layer, bool sleep)
     {
-        if (topic)
+        if (enabled())
         {
             topic->clearLayer(layer);
             if (sleep)
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ namespace armarx
         const Eigen::Vector3f& extents,
         const DrawColor& color, const std::string& name, const std::string& layer)
     {
-        if (topic)
+        if (enabled())
         {
             topic->setBoxVisu(theLayer(layer), name, new Pose(new Vector3(position), new Quaternion(orientation)),
                               new Vector3(extents), color);
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ namespace armarx
     void DebugDrawerTopic::drawPose(
         const Eigen::Matrix4f& pose, const std::string& name, const std::string& layer)
     {
-        if (topic)
+        if (enabled())
         {
             if (poseScale >= 1 && poseScale <= 1)  // squelch compiler warning that == is unsafe
             {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ namespace armarx
         const Eigen::Vector3f& position, const Eigen::Vector3f& direction, float length,
         float width, const DrawColor& color, const std::string& name, const std::string& layer)
     {
-        if (topic)
+        if (enabled())
         {
             topic->setArrowVisu(theLayer(layer), name, new armarx::Vector3(position),
                                 new armarx::Vector3(direction), color, length, width);
diff --git a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/core/visualization/DebugDrawerTopic.h b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/core/visualization/DebugDrawerTopic.h
index dd8217ed215abaa557db1fe872d0f5b971aa4f85..103e9991fd129b7d6d869df23130fd75d352f274 100644
--- a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/core/visualization/DebugDrawerTopic.h
+++ b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/core/visualization/DebugDrawerTopic.h
@@ -111,9 +111,15 @@ namespace armarx
                              const DrawColor& color, const std::string& name, const std::string& layer = "");
 
 
+        /// Indicate whether a topic is set, i.e. visualization is enabled.
+        bool enabled() const
+        {
+            return topic;
+        }
         /// Indicate whether a topic is set, i.e. visualization is enabled.
         operator bool() const;
 
+        /// Conversion operator to DebugDrawerInterfacePrx.
         operator DebugDrawerInterfacePrx& ();
         operator const DebugDrawerInterfacePrx& () const;