diff --git a/src/meshTools/searchableSurface/triSurfaceMesh.C b/src/meshTools/searchableSurface/triSurfaceMesh.C
index 86fcd5889b..2508cdb919 100644
--- a/src/meshTools/searchableSurface/triSurfaceMesh.C
+++ b/src/meshTools/searchableSurface/triSurfaceMesh.C
@@ -625,6 +625,12 @@ Foam::triSurfaceMesh::edgeTree() const
 }
 
 
+Foam::scalar Foam::triSurfaceMesh::tolerance() const
+{
+    return tolerance_;
+}
+
+
 const Foam::wordList& Foam::triSurfaceMesh::regions() const
 {
     if (regions_.empty())
diff --git a/src/meshTools/searchableSurface/triSurfaceMesh.H b/src/meshTools/searchableSurface/triSurfaceMesh.H
index a1d0378487..aa462e2554 100644
--- a/src/meshTools/searchableSurface/triSurfaceMesh.H
+++ b/src/meshTools/searchableSurface/triSurfaceMesh.H
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ public:
         //- Demand driven contruction of octree for boundary edges
         const indexedOctree<treeDataEdge>& edgeTree() const;
 
+        scalar tolerance() const;
 
         // searchableSurface implementation