diff --git a/src/Mod/Part/App/AttachExtension.cpp b/src/Mod/Part/App/AttachExtension.cpp
index 0e6929b41a..cf16903dd7 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Part/App/AttachExtension.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Part/App/AttachExtension.cpp
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ bool AttachExtension::changeAttacherType(const char* typeName)
 
 bool AttachExtension::positionBySupport()
 {
+    _active = 0;
     if (!_attacher)
         throw Base::RuntimeError("AttachExtension: can't positionBySupport, because no AttachEngine is set.");
     updateAttacherVals();
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ bool AttachExtension::positionBySupport()
         if (_attacher->mapMode == mmDeactivated)
             return false;
         getPlacement().setValue(_attacher->calculateAttachedPlacement(getPlacement().getValue()));
+        _active = 1;
         return true;
     } catch (ExceptionCancel&) {
         //disabled, don't do anything
@@ -133,6 +135,18 @@ bool AttachExtension::positionBySupport()
     };
 }
 
+bool AttachExtension::isAttacherActive() const {
+    if(_active < 0) {
+        _active = 0;
+        try {
+            _attacher->calculateAttachedPlacement(getPlacement().getValue());
+            _active = 1;
+        } catch (ExceptionCancel&) {
+        }
+    }
+    return _active!=0;
+}
+
 short int AttachExtension::extensionMustExecute(void) {
     return DocumentObjectExtension::extensionMustExecute();
 }
@@ -258,12 +272,12 @@ void AttachExtension::updateAttacherVals()
                      this->AttachmentOffset.getValue());
 }
 
-App::PropertyPlacement& AttachExtension::getPlacement() {
-
-    if(!getExtendedObject()->isDerivedFrom(App::GeoFeature::getClassTypeId()))
-        throw Base::RuntimeError("AttachExtension not added to GeooFeature!");
-    
-    return static_cast<App::GeoFeature*>(getExtendedObject())->Placement;
+App::PropertyPlacement& AttachExtension::getPlacement() const {
+    auto pla = Base::freecad_dynamic_cast<App::PropertyPlacement>(
+            getExtendedObject()->getPropertyByName("Placement"));
+    if(!pla)
+        throw Base::RuntimeError("AttachExtension cannot find placement property");
+    return *pla;
 }
 
 PyObject* AttachExtension::getExtensionPyObject(void) {
diff --git a/src/Mod/Part/App/AttachExtension.h b/src/Mod/Part/App/AttachExtension.h
index 23cee0093f..75bf63da47 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Part/App/AttachExtension.h
+++ b/src/Mod/Part/App/AttachExtension.h
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ public:
       */
     virtual bool positionBySupport(void);
 
+    /** Return whether this attacher is active
+     */
+    bool isAttacherActive() const;
+
     virtual bool isTouched_Mapping()
     {return true; /*support.isTouched isn't true when linked objects are changed... why?..*/}
 
@@ -122,13 +126,14 @@ protected:
     virtual void extensionOnChanged(const App::Property* /*prop*/);
     virtual void extHandleChangedPropertyName(Base::XMLReader &reader, const char* TypeName, const char* PropName);
     
-    App::PropertyPlacement& getPlacement();
+    App::PropertyPlacement& getPlacement() const;
 
 public:
     void updateAttacherVals();
 
 private:
     Attacher::AttachEngine* _attacher;
+    mutable int _active = -1;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/Part/Gui/ViewProviderAttachExtension.cpp b/src/Mod/Part/Gui/ViewProviderAttachExtension.cpp
index fc7b9044bc..bbedb010cb 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Part/Gui/ViewProviderAttachExtension.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Part/Gui/ViewProviderAttachExtension.cpp
@@ -51,16 +51,7 @@ QIcon ViewProviderAttachExtension::extensionMergeOverlayIcons(const QIcon & orig
 
         if (attach) {
 
-            bool attached = false;
-
-            try{
-                attached = attach->positionBySupport();
-            }
-            catch (...) { // We are just trying to get an icon, if no placement can be calculated, set unattached.
-                // set unattached
-            }
-
-            if(!attached) {
+            if(!attach->isAttacherActive()) {
                 QPixmap px;
 
                 static const char * const feature_detached_xpm[]={