diff --git a/src/mmpycorex/__init__.py b/src/mmpycorex/__init__.py
index 4912d1d..01271e4 100644
--- a/src/mmpycorex/__init__.py
+++ b/src/mmpycorex/__init__.py
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@
 """
 from ._version import __version__, version_info
 
-from .launcher import create_core_instance, terminate_core_instances
+from .launcher import create_core_instance, terminate_core_instances, is_pymmcore_active
 from .core import Core
 from .install import download_and_install_mm, find_existing_mm_install
diff --git a/src/mmpycorex/_version.py b/src/mmpycorex/_version.py
index 8ead122..8750e9a 100644
--- a/src/mmpycorex/_version.py
+++ b/src/mmpycorex/_version.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-version_info = (0, 1, 7)
+version_info = (0, 2, 0)
 __version__ = ".".join(map(str, version_info))
diff --git a/src/mmpycorex/launcher.py b/src/mmpycorex/launcher.py
index 249cf56..fb50067 100644
--- a/src/mmpycorex/launcher.py
+++ b/src/mmpycorex/launcher.py
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ def _create_pymmcore_instance():
 _JAVA_HEADLESS_SUBPROCESSES = []
 _PYMMCORES = []
 
+def is_pymmcore_active():
+    return len(_PYMMCORES) > 0
+
 def terminate_core_instances(debug=False):
     
     for p in _JAVA_HEADLESS_SUBPROCESSES: