diff --git a/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/DatabaseConfigurationContext.java b/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/DatabaseConfigurationContext.java
index 6defeb530d154fab35b17a34dd78c79d0b76e7d5..02bc4af51c47d9de66436ca7c4278f81683169bc 100644
--- a/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/DatabaseConfigurationContext.java
+++ b/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/DatabaseConfigurationContext.java
@@ -515,6 +515,18 @@ public class DatabaseConfigurationContext implements DisposableBean
         this.databaseKind = StringUtils.trim(databaseKind);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the {@link DatabaseEngine}.
+     */
+    public DatabaseEngine getDatabaseEngine() throws ConfigurationFailureException
+    {
+        if (databaseEngine == null)
+        {
+            throw new ConfigurationFailureException("No database engine defined.");
+        }
+        return databaseEngine;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the code of the database engine.
      *