diff --git a/src/lib/diff/record.hpp b/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
index 3f4d6f306..5a4ab6a3b 100644
--- a/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
@@ -428,6 +428,12 @@ namespace diff{
       // standard copy operations acceptable
       
       
+      explicit
+      operator bool()  const
+        {
+          return bool(record_);
+        }
+      
       /** target is accessed by cast
        * @throws error::Logic on bottom reference
        */
diff --git a/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp b/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
index 3ae9245a5..d6603335c 100644
--- a/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ namespace test{
           RecordRef<string> empty;
           CHECK (bool(empty) == false);
           CHECK (nullptr == empty.get());
-          VERIFY_ERROR (BOTTOM_VALUE, RecS& (empty));
+          VERIFY_ERROR (BOTTOM_VALUE, empty.operator RecS&() );
           
           RecordRef<string> ref(oo);
           CHECK (ref);