diff --git a/src/grid/grid_mech_FEM.f90 b/src/grid/grid_mech_FEM.f90
index d18155033..f303e71de 100644
--- a/src/grid/grid_mech_FEM.f90
+++ b/src/grid/grid_mech_FEM.f90
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ subroutine formResidual(da_local,x_local, &
   call utilities_constitutiveResponse(status,P_current,&
                                       P_av,C_volAvg,devNull, &
                                       F,params%Delta_t,params%rotation_BC)
-  call MPI_Allreduce(MPI_IN_PLACE,status,1_MPI_INTEGER_KIND,MPI_INTEGER,MPI_SUM,MPI_COMM_WORLD,err_MPI)
+  call MPI_Allreduce(MPI_IN_PLACE,status,1_MPI_INTEGER_KIND,MPI_INTEGER,MPI_MAX,MPI_COMM_WORLD,err_MPI)
   call parallelization_chkerr(err_MPI)
 
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_basic.f90 b/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_basic.f90
index 591299ad1..d71181479 100644
--- a/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_basic.f90
+++ b/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_basic.f90
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ subroutine formResidual(residual_subdomain, F, &
     call utilities_constitutiveResponse(status,P, &
                                         P_av,C_volAvg,C_minMaxAvg, &
                                         F,params%Delta_t,params%rotation_BC)
-    call MPI_Allreduce(MPI_IN_PLACE,status,1_MPI_INTEGER_KIND,MPI_INTEGER,MPI_SUM,MPI_COMM_WORLD,err_MPI)
+    call MPI_Allreduce(MPI_IN_PLACE,status,1_MPI_INTEGER_KIND,MPI_INTEGER,MPI_MAX,MPI_COMM_WORLD,err_MPI)
     call parallelization_chkerr(err_MPI)
     err_div = utilities_divergenceRMS(P)
   end associate
diff --git a/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_polarization.f90 b/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_polarization.f90
index 4710c7e1e..88261303f 100644
--- a/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_polarization.f90
+++ b/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_polarization.f90
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ subroutine formResidual(residual_subdomain, FandF_tau, &
 #endif
                                         P_av,C_volAvg,C_minMaxAvg, &
                                         F - r_F_tau/num%beta,params%Delta_t,params%rotation_BC)
-    call MPI_Allreduce(MPI_IN_PLACE,status,1_MPI_INTEGER_KIND,MPI_INTEGER,MPI_SUM,MPI_COMM_WORLD,err_MPI)
+    call MPI_Allreduce(MPI_IN_PLACE,status,1_MPI_INTEGER_KIND,MPI_INTEGER,MPI_MAX,MPI_COMM_WORLD,err_MPI)
 #ifdef __GFORTRAN__
     err_div = utilities_divergenceRMS(r_F)
 #else
diff --git a/src/mesh/mesh_mech_FEM.f90 b/src/mesh/mesh_mech_FEM.f90
index 6eafe66e3..f409c0385 100644
--- a/src/mesh/mesh_mech_FEM.f90
+++ b/src/mesh/mesh_mech_FEM.f90
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ subroutine FEM_mechanical_formResidual(dm_local,xx_local,f_local,dummy,err_PETSc
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ! evaluate constitutive response
   call utilities_constitutiveResponse(status,params%Delta_t,P_av,ForwardData)
-  call MPI_Allreduce(MPI_IN_PLACE,status,1_MPI_INTEGER_KIND,MPI_INTEGER,MPI_SUM,MPI_COMM_WORLD,err_MPI)
+  call MPI_Allreduce(MPI_IN_PLACE,status,1_MPI_INTEGER_KIND,MPI_INTEGER,MPI_MAX,MPI_COMM_WORLD,err_MPI)
   call parallelization_chkerr(err_MPI)
   ForwardData = .false.