diff --git a/applications/utilities/preProcessing/applyBoundaryLayer/applyBoundaryLayer.C b/applications/utilities/preProcessing/applyBoundaryLayer/applyBoundaryLayer.C
index e00f12b48e..d55085ee33 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/preProcessing/applyBoundaryLayer/applyBoundaryLayer.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/preProcessing/applyBoundaryLayer/applyBoundaryLayer.C
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
     \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2015 OpenFOAM Foundation
-     \\/     M anipulation  |
+     \\/     M anipulation  | Copyright (C) 2015 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM.
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ Description
     the thickness coefficient supplied via the option -Cbl.  If both options
     are provided -ybl is used.
 
+    Compressible modes is automatically selected based on the existence of the
+    "thermophysicalProperties" dictionary required to construct the
+    thermodynamics package.
+
 \*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 #include "fvCFD.H"
@@ -331,11 +335,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         "scalar",
         "boundary-layer thickness as Cbl * mean distance to wall"
     );
-    argList::addBoolOption
-    (
-        "compressible",
-        "apply to compressible case"
-    );
 
     #include "setRootCase.H"
 
@@ -360,8 +359,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     #include "createNamedMesh.H"
     #include "createFields.H"
 
-    const bool compressible = args.optionFound("compressible");
-
     // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
     // Modify velocity by applying a 1/7th power law boundary-layer
@@ -384,7 +381,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     U.write();
 
 
-    if (compressible)
+    if
+    (
+        IOobject
+        (
+            basicThermo::dictName,
+            runTime.constant(),
+            mesh
+        ).headerOk()
+    )
     {
         calcCompressible(mesh, mask, U, y, ybl);
     }