diff --git a/src/initialize_dseries_class.m b/src/initialize_dseries_class.m
index 154814549a433195b33465d583491f13826ecb20..a58c81763d7c044e896b76f851a013da0ea85e1b 100644
--- a/src/initialize_dseries_class.m
+++ b/src/initialize_dseries_class.m
@@ -112,8 +112,20 @@ if ~exist('one_sided_hp_filter','file')
     p{end+1} = 'utilities/missing/one_sided_hp_filter';
 end
 
+if ~exist('OCTAVE_VERSION') && ~exist('ismatrix','file')
+    p{end+1} = 'utilities/missing/ismatrix';
+end
+
+if ~exist('OCTAVE_VERSION') && ~exist('isrow','file')
+    p{end+1} = 'utilities/missing/isrow';
+end
+
+if ~exist('OCTAVE_VERSION') && ~exist('iscolumn','file')
+    p{end+1} = 'utilities/missing/iscolumn';
+end
+
 % Set path
 P = cellfun(@(c)[dseries_src_root c], p, 'uni', false);
 addpath(P{:});
 
-assignin('caller', 'dseries_src_root', dseries_src_root);
\ No newline at end of file
+assignin('caller', 'dseries_src_root', dseries_src_root);
diff --git a/src/utilities/missing/iscolumn/iscolumn.m b/src/utilities/missing/iscolumn/iscolumn.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0264efe198287e63a59ace53cd068b8376ceefda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilities/missing/iscolumn/iscolumn.m
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+function r = iscolumn(V)
+% Copyright (C) 2018 Dynare Team
+%
+% This file is part of Dynare.
+%
+% Dynare is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+% (at your option) any later version.
+%
+% Dynare is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+% GNU General Public License for more details.
+%
+% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+% along with Dynare.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+sz = size(V);
+r = (length(sz) == 2) && (sz(2) == 1);
diff --git a/src/utilities/missing/ismatrix/ismatrix.m b/src/utilities/missing/ismatrix/ismatrix.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e9ed4ef2dbab191420bc7fa851e6aba8744f8de3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilities/missing/ismatrix/ismatrix.m
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+function r = ismatrix(V)
+% Copyright (C) 2018 Dynare Team
+%
+% This file is part of Dynare.
+%
+% Dynare is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+% (at your option) any later version.
+%
+% Dynare is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+% GNU General Public License for more details.
+%
+% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+% along with Dynare.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+r = (ndims(V) == 2);
diff --git a/src/utilities/missing/isrow/isrow.m b/src/utilities/missing/isrow/isrow.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ef53534ede0596453d55e1d7fc36ed66499816b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilities/missing/isrow/isrow.m
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+function r = isrow(V)
+% Copyright (C) 2018 Dynare Team
+%
+% This file is part of Dynare.
+%
+% Dynare is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+% (at your option) any later version.
+%
+% Dynare is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+% GNU General Public License for more details.
+%
+% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+% along with Dynare.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+sz = size(V);
+r = (length(sz) == 2) && (sz(1) == 1);