diff --git a/openfpm_numerics b/openfpm_numerics
index 87b3f7f985011875cb7e8944fb0c135924b25120..f478f7663e99d3e135ef698a86b182c519a76ba2 160000
--- a/openfpm_numerics
+++ b/openfpm_numerics
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 87b3f7f985011875cb7e8944fb0c135924b25120
+Subproject commit f478f7663e99d3e135ef698a86b182c519a76ba2
diff --git a/src/Grid/grid_dist_key.hpp b/src/Grid/grid_dist_key.hpp
index b0f6db836f545deb4002a83176055b8bd0192fa7..6c3e563d3d0b2446c3b25c829ce07bd32baea916 100644
--- a/src/Grid/grid_dist_key.hpp
+++ b/src/Grid/grid_dist_key.hpp
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ public:
 		return key;
 	}
 
+	/*! \brief Get the reference key
+	 *
+	 * \return the local key
+	 *
+	 */
+	inline const grid_key_dx<dim> & getKeyRef() const
+	{
+		return key;
+	}
+
 	/* \brief Check if two key are the same
 	 *
 	 * \param key_t key to check