diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/BasicElementConfig.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/BasicElementConfig.java
index 3033b3c..74257e6 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/BasicElementConfig.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/BasicElementConfig.java
@@ -30,12 +30,13 @@
     protected static final String RACK_ADDRESS = "rackAddress";
     protected static final String OWNER = "owner";
 
-    protected static final double DEFAULT_COORD = -1.0;
+    protected static final double ZERO_THRESHOLD = Double.MIN_VALUE * 2.0;
+    private static final double DEFAULT_COORD = 0.0;
 
     /**
      * Returns friendly label for the element.
      *
-     * @return friendly label or element id itself if not set
+     * @return friendly label or element identifier itself if not set
      */
     public String name() {
         return get(NAME, subject.toString());
@@ -51,10 +52,25 @@
         return (BasicElementConfig) setOrClear(NAME, name);
     }
 
+    private static boolean doubleIsZero(double value) {
+        return value >= -ZERO_THRESHOLD && value <= ZERO_THRESHOLD;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude)
+     * are set on this element.
+     *
+     * @return true if geo-coordinates are set
+     */
+    public boolean geoCoordsSet() {
+        return !doubleIsZero(latitude()) || !doubleIsZero(longitude());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns element latitude.
      *
-     * @return element latitude; -1 if not set
+     * @return element latitude; 0.0 if (possibly) not set
+     * @see #geoCoordsSet()
      */
     public double latitude() {
         return get(LATITUDE, DEFAULT_COORD);
@@ -71,9 +87,10 @@
     }
 
     /**
-     * Returns element latitude.
+     * Returns element longitude.
      *
-     * @return element latitude; -1 if not set
+     * @return element longitude; 0 if (possibly) not set
+     * @see #geoCoordsSet()
      */
     public double longitude() {
         return get(LONGITUDE, DEFAULT_COORD);
diff --git a/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/BasicElementConfigTest.java b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/BasicElementConfigTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63040af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/api/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/BasicElementConfigTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2016-present Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.onosproject.net.config.basics;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.onosproject.net.config.basics.BasicElementConfig.ZERO_THRESHOLD;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for {@link BasicElementConfig}.
+ */
+public class BasicElementConfigTest {
+
+    private static final ObjectMapper MAPPER = new ObjectMapper();
+
+    private static final String E1 = "e1";
+
+    // concrete subclass of abstract class we are testing
+    private static class ElmCfg extends BasicElementConfig<String> {
+        ElmCfg() {
+            object = MAPPER.createObjectNode();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String toString() {
+            return object.toString();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void print(String fmt, Object... args) {
+        System.out.println(String.format(fmt, args));
+    }
+
+    private static void print(Object o) {
+        print("%s", o);
+    }
+
+    private BasicElementConfig<?> cfg;
+
+    @Before
+    public void setUp() {
+        cfg = new ElmCfg().name(E1);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void basicNoGeo() {
+        print(cfg);
+        assertFalse("geo set?", cfg.geoCoordsSet());
+        assertEquals("lat", 0.0, cfg.latitude(), ZERO_THRESHOLD);
+        assertEquals("lon", 0.0, cfg.longitude(), ZERO_THRESHOLD);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void geoLatitudeOnly() {
+        cfg.latitude(0.1);
+        print(cfg);
+        assertTrue("geo NOT set", cfg.geoCoordsSet());
+        assertEquals("lat", 0.1, cfg.latitude(), ZERO_THRESHOLD);
+        assertEquals("lon", 0.0, cfg.longitude(), ZERO_THRESHOLD);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void geoLongitudeOnly() {
+        cfg.longitude(-0.1);
+        print(cfg);
+        assertTrue("geo NOT set", cfg.geoCoordsSet());
+        assertEquals("lat", 0.0, cfg.latitude(), ZERO_THRESHOLD);
+        assertEquals("lon", -0.1, cfg.longitude(), ZERO_THRESHOLD);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void geoLatLong() {
+        cfg.latitude(3.1415).longitude(2.71828);
+        print(cfg);
+        assertTrue("geo NOT set", cfg.geoCoordsSet());
+        assertEquals("lat", 3.1415, cfg.latitude(), ZERO_THRESHOLD);
+        assertEquals("lon", 2.71828, cfg.longitude(), ZERO_THRESHOLD);
+    }
+}