diff --git a/src/DAMASK_interface.f90 b/src/DAMASK_interface.f90
index f664eb458..d38020225 100644
--- a/src/DAMASK_interface.f90
+++ b/src/DAMASK_interface.f90
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 !>           and working directory.
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #define PETSC_MAJOR 3
-#define PETSC_MINOR_MIN 10
+#define PETSC_MINOR_MIN 12
 #define PETSC_MINOR_MAX 14
 
 module DAMASK_interface
diff --git a/src/mesh/mesh_mech_FEM.f90 b/src/mesh/mesh_mech_FEM.f90
index 8aa084ac8..a4fa29204 100644
--- a/src/mesh/mesh_mech_FEM.f90
+++ b/src/mesh/mesh_mech_FEM.f90
@@ -147,14 +147,9 @@ subroutine FEM_mech_init(fieldBC)
   call PetscFESetQuadrature(mechFE,mechQuad,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call PetscFEGetDimension(mechFE,nBasis,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   nBasis = nBasis/nc
-#if (PETSC_VERSION_MINOR > 10)
   call DMAddField(mech_mesh,PETSC_NULL_DMLABEL,mechFE,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call DMCreateDS(mech_mesh,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#endif
   call DMGetDS(mech_mesh,mechDS,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#if (PETSC_VERSION_MINOR < 11)
-  call PetscDSAddDiscretization(mechDS,mechFE,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#endif
   call PetscDSGetTotalDimension(mechDS,cellDof,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call PetscFEDestroy(mechFE,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call PetscQuadratureDestroy(mechQuad,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
@@ -163,11 +158,7 @@ subroutine FEM_mech_init(fieldBC)
 ! Setup FEM mech boundary conditions
   call DMGetLabel(mech_mesh,'Face Sets',BCLabel,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call DMPlexLabelComplete(mech_mesh,BCLabel,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#if (PETSC_VERSION_MINOR < 12)
-  call DMGetSection(mech_mesh,section,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#else
   call DMGetLocalSection(mech_mesh,section,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#endif
   allocate(pnumComp(1), source=dimPlex)
   allocate(pnumDof(0:dimPlex), source = 0)
   do topologDim = 0, dimPlex
@@ -205,14 +196,8 @@ subroutine FEM_mech_init(fieldBC)
       endif
     endif
   enddo; enddo
-#if (PETSC_VERSION_MINOR < 11)
-  call DMPlexCreateSection(mech_mesh,dimPlex,1,pNumComp,pNumDof, &
-                           numBC,pBcField,pBcComps,pBcPoints,PETSC_NULL_IS,section,ierr)
-#else
   call DMPlexCreateSection(mech_mesh,nolabel,pNumComp,pNumDof, &
                            numBC,pBcField,pBcComps,pBcPoints,PETSC_NULL_IS,section,ierr)
-
-#endif
   CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call DMSetSection(mech_mesh,section,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   do faceSet = 1, numBC
@@ -267,11 +252,7 @@ subroutine FEM_mech_init(fieldBC)
       x_scal(basis+1:basis+dimPlex) = pV0 + matmul(transpose(cellJMat),nodalPointsP + 1.0_pReal)
     enddo
     px_scal => x_scal
-#if (PETSC_VERSION_MINOR < 11)
-    call DMPlexVecSetClosure(mech_mesh,section,solution_local,cell,px_scal,INSERT_ALL_VALUES,ierr)
-#else
-    call DMPlexVecSetClosure(mech_mesh,section,solution_local,cell,px_scal,5,ierr)                  ! PETSc: cbee0a90b60958e5c50c89b1e41f4451dfa6008c
-#endif
+    call DMPlexVecSetClosure(mech_mesh,section,solution_local,cell,px_scal,5,ierr)
     CHKERRQ(ierr)
   enddo
 
@@ -355,11 +336,7 @@ subroutine FEM_mech_formResidual(dm_local,xx_local,f_local,dummy,ierr)
   allocate(pinvcellJ(dimPlex**2))
   allocate(x_scal(cellDof))
 
-#if (PETSC_VERSION_MINOR < 12)
-  call DMGetSection(dm_local,section,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#else
   call DMGetLocalSection(dm_local,section,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#endif
   call DMGetDS(dm_local,prob,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call PetscDSGetTabulation(prob,0,basisField,basisFieldDer,ierr)
   CHKERRQ(ierr)
@@ -502,11 +479,7 @@ subroutine FEM_mech_formJacobian(dm_local,xx_local,Jac_pre,Jac,dummy,ierr)
   call MatZeroEntries(Jac,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call DMGetDS(dm_local,prob,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
   call PetscDSGetTabulation(prob,0,basisField,basisFieldDer,ierr)
-#if (PETSC_VERSION_MINOR < 12)
-  call DMGetSection(dm_local,section,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#else
   call DMGetLocalSection(dm_local,section,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
-#endif
   call DMGetGlobalSection(dm_local,gSection,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)
 
   call DMGetLocalVector(dm_local,x_local,ierr); CHKERRQ(ierr)