diff --git a/src/nt/ntmultiChannel.cpp b/src/nt/ntmultiChannel.cpp
index b48086a..35dbfd7 100644
--- a/src/nt/ntmultiChannel.cpp
+++ b/src/nt/ntmultiChannel.cpp
@@ -84,10 +84,16 @@ NTMultiChannelBuilder::shared_pointer NTMultiChannelBuilder::addUserTag()
     return shared_from_this();
 }
 
+NTMultiChannelBuilder::shared_pointer NTMultiChannelBuilder::addIsConnected()
+{
+    isConnected = true;
+    return shared_from_this();
+}
+
 StructureConstPtr NTMultiChannelBuilder::createStructure()
 {
     StandardFieldPtr standardField = getStandardField();
-    size_t nfields = 3;
+    size_t nfields = 2;
     size_t extraCount = extraFieldNames.size();
     nfields += extraCount;
     if(descriptor) ++nfields;
@@ -99,6 +105,7 @@ StructureConstPtr NTMultiChannelBuilder::createStructure()
     if(secondsPastEpoch) ++nfields;
     if(nanoseconds) ++nfields;
     if(userTag) ++nfields;
+    if(isConnected) ++nfields;
     FieldConstPtrArray fields(nfields);
     StringArray names(nfields);
     size_t ind = 0;
@@ -110,8 +117,6 @@ StructureConstPtr NTMultiChannelBuilder::createStructure()
     }
     names[ind] = "channelName";
     fields[ind++] =  fieldCreate->createScalarArray(pvString);
-    names[ind] = "isConnected";
-    fields[ind++] =  fieldCreate->createScalarArray(pvBoolean);
     if(descriptor) {
         names[ind] = "descriptor";
         fields[ind++] = fieldCreate->createScalar(pvString);
@@ -148,6 +153,10 @@ StructureConstPtr NTMultiChannelBuilder::createStructure()
         names[ind] = "userTag";
         fields[ind++] = fieldCreate->createScalarArray(pvInt);
     }
+    if(isConnected) {
+        names[ind] = "isConnected";
+        fields[ind++] =  fieldCreate->createScalarArray(pvBoolean);
+    }
     for (size_t i = 0; i< extraCount; i++) {
         names[ind] = extraFieldNames[i];
         fields[ind++] = extraFields[i];
@@ -187,6 +196,9 @@ void NTMultiChannelBuilder::reset()
     secondsPastEpoch = false;
     nanoseconds = false;
     userTag = false;
+    // TODO When client code updated, don't include isConnected by default
+    // i.e. change line below to isConnected = false;
+    isConnected = true;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/nt/ntmultiChannel.h b/src/nt/ntmultiChannel.h
index c0e806f..0c59a57 100644
--- a/src/nt/ntmultiChannel.h
+++ b/src/nt/ntmultiChannel.h
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ namespace detail {
          * @return this instance of <b>NTMultiChannelBuilder</b>.
          */
         shared_pointer addUserTag();
+        /**
+         * Add isConnected array to the NTMultiChannel.
+         * @return this instance of <b>NTMultiChannelBuilder</b>.
+         */
+        shared_pointer addIsConnected();
         /**
          * Create a <b>Structure</b> that represents NTMultiChannel.
          * This resets this instance state and allows new instance to be created.
@@ -139,6 +144,7 @@ namespace detail {
         bool secondsPastEpoch;
         bool nanoseconds;
         bool userTag;
+        bool isConnected;
 
         // NOTE: this preserves order, however it does not handle duplicates
         epics::pvData::StringArray extraFieldNames;
diff --git a/src/nt/ntscalarMultiChannel.cpp b/src/nt/ntscalarMultiChannel.cpp
index 2d45142..043e712 100644
--- a/src/nt/ntscalarMultiChannel.cpp
+++ b/src/nt/ntscalarMultiChannel.cpp
@@ -84,10 +84,16 @@ NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::shared_pointer NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::addUser
     return shared_from_this();
 }
 
+NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::shared_pointer NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::addIsConnected()
+{
+    isConnected = true;
+    return shared_from_this();
+}
+
 StructureConstPtr NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::createStructure()
 {
     StandardFieldPtr standardField = getStandardField();
-    size_t nfields = 3;
+    size_t nfields = 2;
     size_t extraCount = extraFieldNames.size();
     nfields += extraCount;
     if(descriptor) ++nfields;
@@ -99,6 +105,7 @@ StructureConstPtr NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::createStructure()
     if(secondsPastEpoch) ++nfields;
     if(nanoseconds) ++nfields;
     if(userTag) ++nfields;
+    if(isConnected) ++nfields;
     FieldConstPtrArray fields(nfields);
     StringArray names(nfields);
     size_t ind = 0;
@@ -106,8 +113,6 @@ StructureConstPtr NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::createStructure()
     fields[ind++] =  fieldCreate->createScalarArray(valueType);
     names[ind] = "channelName";
     fields[ind++] =  fieldCreate->createScalarArray(pvString);
-    names[ind] = "isConnected";
-    fields[ind++] =  fieldCreate->createScalarArray(pvBoolean);
     if(descriptor) {
         names[ind] = "descriptor";
         fields[ind++] = fieldCreate->createScalar(pvString);
@@ -144,6 +149,10 @@ StructureConstPtr NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::createStructure()
         names[ind] = "userTag";
         fields[ind++] = fieldCreate->createScalarArray(pvInt);
     }
+    if(isConnected) {
+        names[ind] = "isConnected";
+        fields[ind++] =  fieldCreate->createScalarArray(pvBoolean);
+    }
     for (size_t i = 0; i< extraCount; i++) {
         names[ind] = extraFieldNames[i];
         fields[ind++] = extraFields[i];
@@ -184,6 +193,9 @@ void NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder::reset()
     secondsPastEpoch = false;
     nanoseconds = false;
     userTag = false;
+    // TODO When client code updated, don't include isConnected by default
+    // i.e. change line below to isConnected = false;
+    isConnected = true;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/nt/ntscalarMultiChannel.h b/src/nt/ntscalarMultiChannel.h
index 9b8c295..645147f 100644
--- a/src/nt/ntscalarMultiChannel.h
+++ b/src/nt/ntscalarMultiChannel.h
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ namespace detail {
          * @return this instance of <b>NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder</b>.
          */
         shared_pointer addUserTag();
+        /**
+         * Add isConnected array to the NTScalarMultiChannel.
+         * @return this instance of <b>NTScalarMultiChannelBuilder</b>.
+         */
+        shared_pointer addIsConnected();
         /**
          * Create a <b>Structure</b> that represents NTScalarMultiChannel.
          * This resets this instance state and allows new instance to be created.
@@ -140,6 +145,7 @@ namespace detail {
         bool secondsPastEpoch;
         bool nanoseconds;
         bool userTag;
+        bool isConnected;
 
         // NOTE: this preserves order, however it does not handle duplicates
         epics::pvData::StringArray extraFieldNames;