diff --git a/ewoms/aux/compatibility.hh b/ewoms/aux/compatibility.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63821aac9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ewoms/aux/compatibility.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#ifndef EWOMS_DUNE_COMPATIBILITY_HH
+#define EWOMS_DUNE_COMPATIBILITY_HH
+
+#if HAVE_DUNE_FEM
+#include <dune/fem/gridpart/common/gridpart.hh>
+#include <dune/fem/misc/compatibility.hh>
+
+namespace Dune
+{
+
+  namespace cpgrid
+  {
+    template <int codim>
+    class Entity;
+
+    template <int codim>
+    class EntityPointer;
+
+  }
+
+  // specialization of dune-fem compatiblity functions for CpGrid, since CpGrid does not use the interface classes.
+  namespace Fem
+  {
+
+    template <int codim>
+    inline Dune::cpgrid::Entity< codim > make_entity ( const Dune::cpgrid::EntityPointer< codim >& entityPointer )
+    {
+      return *entityPointer;
+    }
+
+    template <int codim>
+    inline Dune::cpgrid::Entity<codim> make_entity ( Dune::cpgrid::Entity<codim> entity )
+    {
+      return std::move( entity );
+    }
+
+    template< int codim >
+    struct GridEntityAccess< Dune::cpgrid::Entity< codim > >
+    {
+
+      typedef Dune::cpgrid::Entity< codim >   EntityType;
+      typedef EntityType                      GridEntityType;
+
+      static const GridEntityType &gridEntity ( const EntityType &entity )
+      {
+        return entity;
+      }
+    };
+
+  } // namespace Fem
+
+} // end namespace Dune
+
+#endif // #if HAVE_DUNE_FEM
+
+#endif // #ifndef EWOMS_DUNE_COMPATIBILITY_HH