diff --git a/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModel.C b/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModel.C
index 74a6565efd..4d859be759 100644
--- a/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModel.C
+++ b/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModel.C
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ void Foam::RBD::rigidBodyModel::initializeRootBody()
 {
     bodies_.append(new masslessBody);
     lambda_.append(0);
+    bodyIDs_.insert("root", 0);
     joints_.append(new joints::null(*this));
     XT_.append(spatialTransform());
 
@@ -96,7 +97,10 @@ Foam::label Foam::RBD::rigidBodyModel::join
 )
 {
     // Append the body
+    const rigidBody& body = bodyPtr();
     bodies_.append(bodyPtr);
+    const label bodyID = nBodies()-1;
+    bodyIDs_.insert(body.name(), bodyID);
 
     // If the parentID refers to a merged body find the parent into which it has
     // been merged and set lambda and XT accordingly
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ Foam::label Foam::RBD::rigidBodyModel::join
 
     resizeState();
 
-    return nBodies()-1;
+    return bodyID;
 }
 
 
@@ -200,7 +204,10 @@ Foam::label Foam::RBD::rigidBodyModel::merge
     // Merge the sub-body with the parent
     bodies_[sBody.parentID()].merge(sBody);
 
-    return mergedBodyID(mergedBodies_.size() - 1);
+    const label sBodyID = mergedBodyID(mergedBodies_.size() - 1);
+    bodyIDs_.insert(sBody.name(), sBodyID);
+
+    return sBodyID;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModel.H b/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModel.H
index aa3db57876..57c7a17e87 100644
--- a/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModel.H
+++ b/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModel.H
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ SourceFiles
 #include "subBody.H"
 #include "joint.H"
 #include "PtrList.H"
+#include "HashTable.H"
 
 namespace Foam
 {
@@ -89,6 +90,9 @@ protected:
         //  this list.
         PtrList<subBody> mergedBodies_;
 
+        //- Lookup-table of the IDs of the bodies
+        HashTable<label, word> bodyIDs_;
+
         //- List of indices of the parent of each body
         DynamicList<label> lambda_;
 
@@ -267,6 +271,9 @@ public:
         //- Return the merged body for the given body ID
         inline const subBody& mergedBody(label mergedBodyID) const;
 
+        //- Return the ID of the body with the given name
+        inline label bodyID(const word& name) const;
+
         //- Return the current transform to the global frame for the given body
         spatialTransform X0(const label bodyId) const;
 
diff --git a/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModelI.H b/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModelI.H
index 7899bf89ed..34fa0670ef 100644
--- a/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModelI.H
+++ b/src/rigidBodyDynamics/rigidBodyModel/rigidBodyModelI.H
@@ -117,4 +117,10 @@ Foam::RBD::rigidBodyModel::mergedBody(label mergedBodyID) const
 }
 
 
+inline Foam::label Foam::RBD::rigidBodyModel::bodyID(const word& name) const
+{
+    return bodyIDs_[name];
+}
+
+
 // ************************************************************************* //