diff --git a/commonFiles/error_defs.h b/commonFiles/error_defs.h
index 7232e0a5b..8772fb79e 100644
--- a/commonFiles/error_defs.h
+++ b/commonFiles/error_defs.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #define MULTI_DETECTORS_NOT_ADDED			0x8000000000000000ULL
 #define MULTI_HAVE_DIFFERENT_VALUES			0x4000000000000000ULL
 #define MULTI_CONFIG_FILE_ERROR             0x2000000000000000ULL
+#define MULTI_POS_EXCEEDS_LIST             	0x1000000000000000ULL
 
 // sls errors
 #define CRITICAL_ERROR_MASK 				0xFFFFFFF
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.cpp
index a6500e7f9..8f2b3934b 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.cpp
@@ -340,11 +340,10 @@ std::string multiSlsDetector::getErrorMessage(int& critical, int detPos) {
 
 	// single
 	if (detPos >= 0) {
-		// position exceeds multi list size
-		if (detPos > detectors.size()) {
-			FILE_LOG(logERROR) << "Position " << detPos << " exceeds list of " << detectors.size();
+
+		if(isDetectorIndexOutOfBounds())
 			return retval;
-		}
+
 		slsMask = getErrorMask();
 		posmin =  (unsigned int)detPos;
 		posmax = posmin + 1;
@@ -404,14 +403,8 @@ int64_t multiSlsDetector::clearAllErrorMask(int detPos) {
 
 	// single
 	if (detPos >= 0) {
-
-		// position exceeds multi list size
-		if (detPos > detectors.size()) {
-			FILE_LOG(logERROR) << "Position " << detPos << " exceeds list of " << detectors.size();
-			setErrorMask(getErrorMask() | MULTI_POS_EXCEEDS_LIST);
+		if(isDetectorIndexOutOfBounds())
 			return -1;
-		}
-
 		return detectors[idet]->clearErrorMask();
 	}
 
@@ -456,12 +449,8 @@ int multiSlsDetector::checkVersionCompatibility(portType t, int detPos) {
 	// single
 	if (detPos >= 0) {
 
-		// position exceeds multi list size
-		if (detPos > detectors.size()) {
-			FILE_LOG(logERROR) << "Position " << detPos << " exceeds list of " << detectors.size();
-			setErrorMask(getErrorMask() | MULTI_POS_EXCEEDS_LIST);
+		if(isDetectorIndexOutOfBounds())
 			return -1;
-		}
 
 		int ret = detectors[detPos]->checkVersionCompatibility(t);
 		if (detectors[detPos]->getErrorMask())
@@ -478,12 +467,8 @@ int64_t multiSlsDetector::getId(idMode mode, int detPos) {
 	// single
 	if (detPos >= 0) {
 
-		// position exceeds multi list size
-		if (detPos > detectors.size()) {
-			FILE_LOG(logERROR) << "Position " << detPos << " exceeds list of " << detectors.size();
-			setErrorMask(getErrorMask() | MULTI_POS_EXCEEDS_LIST);
+		if(isDetectorIndexOutOfBounds())
 			return -1;
-		}
 
 		int64_t ret = detectors[detPos]->getId(mode);
 		if (detectors[detPos]->getErrorMask())
@@ -4614,3 +4599,13 @@ int multiSlsDetector::kbhit() {
 	select(STDIN_FILENO+1, &fds, NULL, NULL, &tv);
 	return FD_ISSET(STDIN_FILENO, &fds);
 }
+
+bool multiSlsDetector::isDetectorIndexOutOfBounds(int detPos) {
+	// position exceeds multi list size
+	if (detPos >= detectors.size()) {
+		FILE_LOG(logERROR) << "Position " << detPos << " is out of bounds with a detector list of " << detectors.size();
+		setErrorMask(getErrorMask() | MULTI_POS_EXCEEDS_LIST);
+		return true;
+	}
+	return false;
+}
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.h b/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.h
index 2f4d454a4..e9e085551 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.h
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.h
@@ -1569,6 +1569,11 @@ public:
 	 */
 	int setThreadedProcessing(int enable=-1);
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns true if detector position is out of bounds
+	 */
+	bool isDetectorIndexOutOfBounds(int detPos);
+
 private:
 	/**
 	 * Initialize (open/create) shared memory for the sharedMultiDetector structure