diff --git a/src/pe/rigidbody/RigidBody.h b/src/pe/rigidbody/RigidBody.h
index c58df20ee46b0b2674b8e6a9be542ad813ac3e56..8627cf49698d946810e946dc3962b42035e30af8 100644
--- a/src/pe/rigidbody/RigidBody.h
+++ b/src/pe/rigidbody/RigidBody.h
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ public:
    inline ConstBodyID    getSuperBody()      const;
    inline BodyID         getTopSuperBody();
    inline ConstBodyID    getTopSuperBody()   const;
+   virtual inline bool   hasSubBodies()      const { return false; }
    inline bool           isFinite()          const;
    inline bool           isAwake()           const;
    inline bool           isFixed()           const;
diff --git a/src/pe/rigidbody/Union.h b/src/pe/rigidbody/Union.h
index 1dacea3264ec0487a9e7c4d4cfeb06b40375c6ec..31c025c274b9c3fbfaf7b21a051e72a9796e64d1 100644
--- a/src/pe/rigidbody/Union.h
+++ b/src/pe/rigidbody/Union.h
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ public:
    //@}
    //**********************************************************************************************
 
+   virtual inline bool   hasSubBodies()      const WALBERLA_OVERRIDE { return true; }
+
    //**Simulation functions************************************************************************
    /*!\name Simulation functions */
    //@{