diff --git a/ProcessLib/LocalAssemblerInterface.cpp b/ProcessLib/LocalAssemblerInterface.cpp
index c626e7cb71cd2b915e6f5fad759817bc2318929a..7283a36809ce342102a4c774bf57abcfa4eaee5a 100644
--- a/ProcessLib/LocalAssemblerInterface.cpp
+++ b/ProcessLib/LocalAssemblerInterface.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 
 namespace ProcessLib
 {
-
 void LocalAssemblerInterface::assembleWithCoupledTerm(
     double const /*t*/, std::vector<double> const& /*local_x*/,
     std::vector<double>& /*local_M_data*/,
@@ -22,8 +21,8 @@ void LocalAssemblerInterface::assembleWithCoupledTerm(
     LocalCouplingTerm const& /*coupling_term*/)
 {
     OGS_FATAL(
-        "The assembleWithCoupledTerm() function is not implemented in the local "
-        "assembler.");
+        "The assembleWithCoupledTerm() function is not implemented in the "
+        "local assembler.");
 }
 
 void LocalAssemblerInterface::assembleWithJacobian(
@@ -54,10 +53,9 @@ void LocalAssemblerInterface::assembleWithJacobianAndCouping(
 }
 
 void LocalAssemblerInterface::computeSecondaryVariable(
-                              std::size_t const mesh_item_id,
-                              NumLib::LocalToGlobalIndexMap const& dof_table,
-                              double const t, GlobalVector const& x,
-                              StaggeredCouplingTerm const& coupled_term)
+    std::size_t const mesh_item_id,
+    NumLib::LocalToGlobalIndexMap const& dof_table, double const t,
+    GlobalVector const& x, StaggeredCouplingTerm const& coupled_term)
 {
     auto const indices = NumLib::getIndices(mesh_item_id, dof_table);
     auto const local_x = x.get(indices);
@@ -68,11 +66,14 @@ void LocalAssemblerInterface::computeSecondaryVariable(
     }
     else
     {
-        auto const local_coupled_xs
-            = getCurrentLocalSolutionsOfCoupledProcesses(
-                    coupled_term.coupled_xs, indices);
-        computeSecondaryVariableWithCoupledProcessConcrete(t, local_x,
-                                                           local_coupled_xs);
+        auto const local_coupled_xs =
+            getCurrentLocalSolutionsOfCoupledProcesses(coupled_term.coupled_xs,
+                                                       indices);
+        if (local_coupled_xs.size() != 0)
+            computeSecondaryVariableWithCoupledProcessConcrete(
+                t, local_x, local_coupled_xs);
+        else
+            computeSecondaryVariableConcrete(t, local_x);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/ProcessLib/UncoupledProcessesTimeLoop.cpp b/ProcessLib/UncoupledProcessesTimeLoop.cpp
index f31970e6894ce354fe4bdacf8ee519e8e72746aa..c830ccfeed9792e871877ab9428b102ddc2dd020 100644
--- a/ProcessLib/UncoupledProcessesTimeLoop.cpp
+++ b/ProcessLib/UncoupledProcessesTimeLoop.cpp
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ UncoupledProcessesTimeLoop::UncoupledProcessesTimeLoop(
 bool UncoupledProcessesTimeLoop::setCoupledSolutions()
 {
     // Do nothing if process are not coupled
-    if (!_global_coupling_conv_crit && _global_coupling_max_iterations == 1)
+    if ((!_global_coupling_conv_crit) || _global_coupling_max_iterations == 1)
         return false;
 
     unsigned pcs_idx = 0;
diff --git a/ProcessLib/VectorMatrixAssembler.cpp b/ProcessLib/VectorMatrixAssembler.cpp
index 0420af82b719d319bcb3ab2e163b44d9836d59df..c60c09967d6a17401495684b315c62c66b563ed7 100644
--- a/ProcessLib/VectorMatrixAssembler.cpp
+++ b/ProcessLib/VectorMatrixAssembler.cpp
@@ -79,13 +79,22 @@ void VectorMatrixAssembler::assemble(
             getPreviousLocalSolutionsOfCoupledProcesses(coupling_term, indices);
         auto local_coupled_xs = getCurrentLocalSolutionsOfCoupledProcesses(
             coupling_term.coupled_xs, indices);
-        ProcessLib::LocalCouplingTerm local_coupling_term(
-            coupling_term.dt, coupling_term.coupled_processes,
-            std::move(local_coupled_xs0), std::move(local_coupled_xs));
 
-        local_assembler.assembleWithCoupledTerm(t, local_x, _local_M_data,
-                                          _local_K_data, _local_b_data,
-                                          local_coupling_term);
+        if (local_coupled_xs0.size() == 0 || local_coupled_xs.size() == 0)
+        {
+            local_assembler.assemble(t, local_x, _local_M_data, _local_K_data,
+                                     _local_b_data);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            ProcessLib::LocalCouplingTerm local_coupling_term(
+                coupling_term.dt, coupling_term.coupled_processes,
+                std::move(local_coupled_xs0), std::move(local_coupled_xs));
+
+            local_assembler.assembleWithCoupledTerm(
+                t, local_x, _local_M_data, _local_K_data, _local_b_data,
+                local_coupling_term);
+        }
     }
 
     auto const num_r_c = indices.size();
@@ -137,14 +146,23 @@ void VectorMatrixAssembler::assembleWithJacobian(
             getPreviousLocalSolutionsOfCoupledProcesses(coupling_term, indices);
         auto local_coupled_xs = getCurrentLocalSolutionsOfCoupledProcesses(
             coupling_term.coupled_xs, indices);
-        ProcessLib::LocalCouplingTerm local_coupling_term(
-            coupling_term.dt, coupling_term.coupled_processes,
-            std::move(local_coupled_xs0), std::move(local_coupled_xs));
-
-        _jacobian_assembler->assembleWithJacobianAndCouping(
-            local_assembler, t, local_x, local_xdot, dxdot_dx, dx_dx,
-            _local_M_data, _local_K_data, _local_b_data, _local_Jac_data,
-            local_coupling_term);
+        if (local_coupled_xs0.size() == 0 || local_coupled_xs.size() == 0)
+        {
+            ProcessLib::LocalCouplingTerm local_coupling_term(
+                coupling_term.dt, coupling_term.coupled_processes,
+                std::move(local_coupled_xs0), std::move(local_coupled_xs));
+
+            _jacobian_assembler->assembleWithJacobianAndCouping(
+                local_assembler, t, local_x, local_xdot, dxdot_dx, dx_dx,
+                _local_M_data, _local_K_data, _local_b_data, _local_Jac_data,
+                local_coupling_term);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            _jacobian_assembler->assembleWithJacobian(
+                local_assembler, t, local_x, local_xdot, dxdot_dx, dx_dx,
+                _local_M_data, _local_K_data, _local_b_data, _local_Jac_data);
+        }
     }
 
     auto const num_r_c = indices.size();