diff --git a/opm/simulators/wells/BlackoilWellModel.hpp b/opm/simulators/wells/BlackoilWellModel.hpp
index af610bfb9..d385e6ac4 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/wells/BlackoilWellModel.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/wells/BlackoilWellModel.hpp
@@ -281,6 +281,8 @@ namespace Opm {
             std::vector<WellInterfacePtr > well_container_;
 
             // map from logically cartesian cell indices to compressed ones
+            // cells not in the interior are not mapped. This deactivates
+            // these for distributed wells and make the distribution non-overlapping.
             std::vector<int> cartesian_to_compressed_;
 
             std::vector<bool> is_cell_perforated_;
diff --git a/opm/simulators/wells/BlackoilWellModel_impl.hpp b/opm/simulators/wells/BlackoilWellModel_impl.hpp
index f662db354..e83047706 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/wells/BlackoilWellModel_impl.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/wells/BlackoilWellModel_impl.hpp
@@ -1606,8 +1606,15 @@ namespace Opm {
     {
         cartesian_to_compressed_.resize(number_of_cartesian_cells, -1);
         if (global_cell) {
+            auto elemIt = ebosSimulator_.gridView().template begin</*codim=*/ 0>();
             for (unsigned i = 0; i < local_num_cells_; ++i) {
-                cartesian_to_compressed_[global_cell[i]] = i;
+                // Skip perforations in the overlap/ghost for distributed wells.
+                if (elemIt->partitionType() == Dune::InteriorEntity)
+                {
+                    assert(ebosSimulator_.gridView().indexSet().index(*elemIt) == static_cast<int>(i));
+                    cartesian_to_compressed_[global_cell[i]] = i;
+                }
+                ++elemIt;
             }
         }
         else {