diff --git a/src/SIM/SIMbase.C b/src/SIM/SIMbase.C
index 4bb129c0..288585e1 100644
--- a/src/SIM/SIMbase.C
+++ b/src/SIM/SIMbase.C
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ SIMbase::SIMbase () : g2l(&myGlb2Loc)
   nGlPatches = 0;
   vizIncr = 1;
   format = 1;
+  mixedFEM = false;
 
   MPCLess::compareSlaveDofOnly = true; // to avoid multiple slave definitions
 
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ bool SIMbase::createFEMmodel ()
 
   if (nGlPatches == 0 && nProc == 1)
     nGlPatches = myModel.size();
-
+  
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -757,8 +758,7 @@ double SIMbase::solutionNorms (const Vector& x, double* inf,
 {
   if (nf == 0) nf = this->getNoSpaceDim();
 
-  for (size_t d = 0; d < nf; d++)
-  {
+  for (size_t d = 0; d < nf; d++) {
     ind[d] = d+1;
     inf[d] = mySam->normInf(x,ind[d]);
   }
diff --git a/src/SIM/SIMbase.h b/src/SIM/SIMbase.h
index ddbfd88f..7e3d1d6e 100644
--- a/src/SIM/SIMbase.h
+++ b/src/SIM/SIMbase.h
@@ -192,14 +192,14 @@ public:
   //! \param[in] time Parameters for nonlinear/time-dependent simulations
   //! \param[in] pSol Previous primary solution vectors in DOF-order
   //! \param[in] newLHSmatrix If \e false, only integrate the RHS vector
-  bool assembleSystem(const TimeDomain& time, const Vectors& pSol = Vectors(),
-		      bool newLHSmatrix = true);
+  virtual bool assembleSystem(const TimeDomain& time, const Vectors& pSol = Vectors(),
+			      bool newLHSmatrix = true);
 
   //! \brief Administers assembly of the linear equation system.
   //! \param[in] pSol Previous primary solution vectors in DOF-order
   //!
   //! \details Use this version for linear/stationary problems only.
-  bool assembleSystem(const Vectors& pSol = Vectors())
+  virtual bool assembleSystem(const Vectors& pSol = Vectors())
   { return this->assembleSystem(TimeDomain(),pSol); }
 
   //! \brief Extracts the assembled load vector for inspection/visualization.
@@ -586,6 +586,9 @@ protected:
   AlgEqSystem*  myEqSys;     //!< The actual linear equation system
   SAMpatch*     mySam;       //!< Auxiliary data for FE assembly management
   LinSolParams* mySolParams; //!< Input parameters for PETSc
+
+  // Discretization attributes
+  bool mixedFEM;             //!< If mixed finite elements are used  
 };
 
 #endif