diff --git a/opm/core/wells/WellsManager.cpp b/opm/core/wells/WellsManager.cpp
index 67dbf29e7..32d763e73 100644
--- a/opm/core/wells/WellsManager.cpp
+++ b/opm/core/wells/WellsManager.cpp
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ namespace Opm
              UgGridHelpers::dimensions(grid),
              UgGridHelpers::cell2Faces(grid), UgGridHelpers::beginFaceCentroids(grid),
              permeability, dummy_list_econ_limited, dummy_well_potentials,
-             std::set<std::string>());
+             std::set<int>());
 
     }
 
diff --git a/opm/core/wells/WellsManager.hpp b/opm/core/wells/WellsManager.hpp
index 5eb42dcb5..4d1c60742 100644
--- a/opm/core/wells/WellsManager.hpp
+++ b/opm/core/wells/WellsManager.hpp
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ namespace Opm
         /// well productivity indices, otherwise it must be given in
         /// order to approximate these by the Peaceman formula.
         ///
-        /// \param deactivated_wells A set of wells that should be treated
+        /// \param deactivated_wells The indices (according to the
+        ///        eclipse schedule) of wells that should be treated
         ///        like shut wells. E.g. in a a parallel run these would be
         ///        the wells handeled by another process. Defaults to empty set.
         template<class F2C, class FC>
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ namespace Opm
                      const DynamicListEconLimited& list_econ_limited,
                      bool is_parallel_run=false,
                      const std::vector<double>& well_potentials={},
-                     const std::set<std::string>& deactivated_wells = {});
+                     const std::set<int>& deactivated_wells = {});
 
         WellsManager(const Opm::EclipseStateConstPtr eclipseState,
                      const size_t timeStep,
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ namespace Opm
                   const double* permeability,
                   const DynamicListEconLimited& list_econ_limited,
                   const std::vector<double>& well_potentials,
-                  const std::set<std::string>& deactivated_wells);
+                  const std::set<int>& deactivated_wells);
         // Disable copying and assignment.
         WellsManager(const WellsManager& other);
         WellsManager& operator=(const WellsManager& other);
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ namespace Opm
                                    const double* permeability,
                                    const NTG& ntg,
                                    std::vector<int>& wells_on_proc,
-                                   const std::set<std::string>& deactivated_wells,
+                                   const std::set<int>& deactivated_wells,
                                    const DynamicListEconLimited& list_econ_limited);
 
         void addChildGroups(GroupTreeNodeConstPtr parentNode, std::shared_ptr< const Schedule > schedule, size_t timeStep, const PhaseUsage& phaseUsage);
diff --git a/opm/core/wells/WellsManager_impl.hpp b/opm/core/wells/WellsManager_impl.hpp
index 440270b01..57c617340 100644
--- a/opm/core/wells/WellsManager_impl.hpp
+++ b/opm/core/wells/WellsManager_impl.hpp
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ void WellsManager::createWellsFromSpecs(std::vector<const Well*>& wells, size_t
                                         const double* permeability,
                                         const NTG& ntg,
                                         std::vector<int>& wells_on_proc,
-                                        const std::set<std::string>& ignored_wells,
+                                        const std::set<int>& ignored_wells,
                                         const DynamicListEconLimited& list_econ_limited)
 {
     if (dimensions != 3) {
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ void WellsManager::createWellsFromSpecs(std::vector<const Well*>& wells, size_t
     wellperf_data.resize(wells.size());
     wells_on_proc.resize(wells.size(), 1);
 
+    auto ignored_well = ignored_wells.begin();
+
     // The well index on the current process.
     // Note that some wells are deactivated as they live on the interior
     // domain of another proccess. Therefore this might different from
@@ -141,9 +143,11 @@ void WellsManager::createWellsFromSpecs(std::vector<const Well*>& wells, size_t
     int active_well_index = 0;
     for (auto wellIter= wells.begin(); wellIter != wells.end(); ++wellIter) {
         const auto* well = (*wellIter);
+        const int well_index = wellIter - wells.begin();
 
-        if ( ignored_wells.find(well->name()) != ignored_wells.end() ) {
-            wells_on_proc[ wellIter - wells.begin() ] = 0;
+        if ( ignored_well != ignored_wells.end() && *ignored_well == well_index ) {
+            wells_on_proc[ well_index ] = 0;
+            ++ignored_well;
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -317,7 +321,7 @@ WellsManager(const Opm::EclipseStateConstPtr eclipseState,
              const DynamicListEconLimited&   list_econ_limited,
              bool                            is_parallel_run,
              const std::vector<double>&      well_potentials,
-             const std::set<std::string>&    deactivated_wells)
+             const std::set<int>&            deactivated_wells)
     : w_(0), is_parallel_run_(is_parallel_run)
 {
     init(eclipseState, timeStep, number_of_cells, global_cell,
@@ -339,7 +343,7 @@ WellsManager::init(const Opm::EclipseStateConstPtr eclipseState,
                    const double*                   permeability,
                    const DynamicListEconLimited&   list_econ_limited,
                    const std::vector<double>&      well_potentials,
-                   const std::set<std::string>&    deactivated_wells)
+                   const std::set<int>&            deactivated_wells)
 {
     if (dimensions != 3) {
         OPM_THROW(std::runtime_error,