diff --git a/ProcessLib/PhaseField/PhaseFieldFEM.h b/ProcessLib/PhaseField/PhaseFieldFEM.h
index 458cde06b9132acdb07f41df2dab3def80b82b44..10b035a2b91384d93998d156ba33dcc13d4dba31 100644
--- a/ProcessLib/PhaseField/PhaseFieldFEM.h
+++ b/ProcessLib/PhaseField/PhaseFieldFEM.h
@@ -207,9 +207,19 @@ public:
         std::vector<double>& local_b_data, std::vector<double>& local_Jac_data,
         LocalCoupledSolutions const& local_coupled_solutions) override;
 
-    void preTimestepConcrete(std::vector<double> const& /*local_x*/,
-                             double const /*t*/,
-                             double const /*delta_t*/) override
+    void initializeConcrete() override
+    {
+        unsigned const n_integration_points =
+            _integration_method.getNumberOfPoints();
+
+        for (unsigned ip = 0; ip < n_integration_points; ip++)
+        {
+            _ip_data[ip].pushBackState();
+        }
+    }
+
+    void postTimestepConcrete(std::vector<double> const& /*local_x*/
+                              ) override
     {
         unsigned const n_integration_points =
             _integration_method.getNumberOfPoints();
diff --git a/ProcessLib/PhaseField/PhaseFieldProcess.cpp b/ProcessLib/PhaseField/PhaseFieldProcess.cpp
index 2c9108f151e8520859e287c43e71c7115ccc18a7..6465ed380f865ecb792c75482c3fa15cc82c0889 100644
--- a/ProcessLib/PhaseField/PhaseFieldProcess.cpp
+++ b/ProcessLib/PhaseField/PhaseFieldProcess.cpp
@@ -140,6 +140,14 @@ void PhaseFieldProcess<DisplacementDim>::initializeConcreteProcess(
                              DisplacementDim>::RowsAtCompileTime,
                          getExtrapolator(), _local_assemblers,
                          &LocalAssemblerInterface::getIntPtEpsilon));
+
+    // Initialize local assemblers after all variables have been set.
+    const int process_id = 0;
+    ProcessLib::ProcessVariable const& pv = getProcessVariables(process_id)[0];
+
+    GlobalExecutor::executeSelectedMemberOnDereferenced(
+        &LocalAssemblerInterface::initialize, _local_assemblers,
+        pv.getActiveElementIDs(), *_local_to_global_index_map);
 }
 
 template <int DisplacementDim>