diff --git a/src/base/inifile.cc b/src/base/inifile.cc
index 402c6469f..80ed3eb06 100644
--- a/src/base/inifile.cc
+++ b/src/base/inifile.cc
@@ -229,6 +229,17 @@ IniFile::find(const string &sectionName, const string &entryName,
     return true;
 }
 
+bool
+IniFile::entryExists(const string &sectionName, const string &entryName) const
+{
+    Section *section = findSection(sectionName);
+
+    if (!section)
+        return false;
+    else
+        return section->findEntry(entryName);
+}
+
 bool
 IniFile::sectionExists(const string &sectionName) const
 {
diff --git a/src/base/inifile.hh b/src/base/inifile.hh
index b4892d60a..447ec7c0f 100644
--- a/src/base/inifile.hh
+++ b/src/base/inifile.hh
@@ -184,6 +184,12 @@ class IniFile
     bool find(const std::string &section, const std::string &entry,
               std::string &value) const;
 
+    /// Determine whether the entry exists within named section exists
+    /// in the .ini file.
+    /// @return True if the section exists.
+    bool entryExists(const std::string &section,
+                     const std::string &entry) const;
+
     /// Determine whether the named section exists in the .ini file.
     /// Note that the 'Section' class is (intentionally) not public,
     /// so all clients can do is get a bool that says whether there
diff --git a/src/sim/serialize.cc b/src/sim/serialize.cc
index e55107b79..d2e699c28 100644
--- a/src/sim/serialize.cc
+++ b/src/sim/serialize.cc
@@ -692,6 +692,12 @@ CheckpointIn::~CheckpointIn()
     delete db;
 }
 
+bool
+CheckpointIn::entryExists(const string &section, const string &entry)
+{
+    return db->entryExists(section, entry);
+}
+
 bool
 CheckpointIn::find(const string &section, const string &entry, string &value)
 {
diff --git a/src/sim/serialize.hh b/src/sim/serialize.hh
index 2f0340e4b..4c5e9d79c 100644
--- a/src/sim/serialize.hh
+++ b/src/sim/serialize.hh
@@ -359,6 +359,8 @@ class CheckpointIn
     bool findObj(const std::string &section, const std::string &entry,
                  SimObject *&value);
 
+
+    bool entryExists(const std::string &section, const std::string &entry);
     bool sectionExists(const std::string &section);
 
     // The following static functions have to do with checkpoint