diff --git a/package/CHANGELOG b/package/CHANGELOG
index 9a1bb52719d..30a9ed4a2f5 100644
--- a/package/CHANGELOG
+++ b/package/CHANGELOG
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ Enhancements
   with 'quiet=False'
   * The 'run' method from all 'AnalysisBase' derived classes return the
   class itself.
+  * Added boolean flag at lib.distances.USED_OPENMP to reveal if
+    OpenMP was used in compilation (Issue #883)
 
 Fixes
   * GROWriter resids now truncated properly (Issue #886)
diff --git a/package/MDAnalysis/lib/distances.py b/package/MDAnalysis/lib/distances.py
index c7aceef39a8..7f649bebd70 100644
--- a/package/MDAnalysis/lib/distances.py
+++ b/package/MDAnalysis/lib/distances.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 Fast C-routines to calculate distance arrays from coordinate
 arrays. Many of the functions also exist in parallel versions, that
 typically provide higher performance than the serial code.
+The boolean attribute MDAnalysis.lib.distances.USED_OPENMP can be
+checked to see if OpenMP was used in the compilation of MDAnalysis.
 
 Selection of acceleration ("backend")
 -------------------------------------
@@ -110,6 +112,8 @@ def _run(funcname, args=None, kwargs=None, backend="serial"):
                           ortho_pbc,
                           triclinic_pbc)
 
+from c_distances_openmp import OPENMP_ENABLED as USED_OPENMP
+
 
 def _box_check(box):
     """Take a box input and deduce what type of system it represents based
diff --git a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/test_distances.py b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/test_distances.py
index 87d92d47a19..3f6108d96f9 100644
--- a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/test_distances.py
+++ b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/test_distances.py
@@ -715,3 +715,5 @@ def test_missing_backend_raises_ValueError(self):
                                       backend="not_implemented_stuff")
 
 
+def test_used_openmpflag():
+    assert_(isinstance(MDAnalysis.lib.distances.USED_OPENMP, bool))