diff --git a/src/regionModels/surfaceFilmModels/derivedFvPatchFields/inclinedFilmNusseltHeight/inclinedFilmNusseltHeightFvPatchScalarField.C b/src/regionModels/surfaceFilmModels/derivedFvPatchFields/inclinedFilmNusseltHeight/inclinedFilmNusseltHeightFvPatchScalarField.C
index bc6af600b564a9fafd96ce04743b0dd539fb5591..65c389e0372c44756257d6a604736a35cd289be9 100644
--- a/src/regionModels/surfaceFilmModels/derivedFvPatchFields/inclinedFilmNusseltHeight/inclinedFilmNusseltHeightFvPatchScalarField.C
+++ b/src/regionModels/surfaceFilmModels/derivedFvPatchFields/inclinedFilmNusseltHeight/inclinedFilmNusseltHeightFvPatchScalarField.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2012-2013 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ void Foam::inclinedFilmNusseltHeightFvPatchScalarField::updateCoeffs()
     // TODO: currently re-evaluating the entire gTan field to return this patch
     const scalarField gTan(film.gTan()().boundaryField()[patchI] & n);
 
-    if (max(mag(gTan)) < SMALL)
+    if (patch().size() && (max(mag(gTan)) < SMALL))
     {
         WarningIn
         (
diff --git a/src/regionModels/surfaceFilmModels/derivedFvPatchFields/inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocity/inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocityFvPatchVectorField.C b/src/regionModels/surfaceFilmModels/derivedFvPatchFields/inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocity/inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocityFvPatchVectorField.C
index 72a7e9fdc37e28115b11bad6c19da93e86f75316..67374b7b47bc7eb42c1f504f7bc983337c16778a 100644
--- a/src/regionModels/surfaceFilmModels/derivedFvPatchFields/inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocity/inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocityFvPatchVectorField.C
+++ b/src/regionModels/surfaceFilmModels/derivedFvPatchFields/inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocity/inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocityFvPatchVectorField.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2012-2013 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ void Foam::inclinedFilmNusseltInletVelocityFvPatchVectorField::updateCoeffs()
     // TODO: currently re-evaluating the entire gTan field to return this patch
     const scalarField gTan(film.gTan()().boundaryField()[patchI] & n);
 
-    if (max(mag(gTan)) < SMALL)
+    if (patch().size() && (max(mag(gTan)) < SMALL))
     {
         WarningIn
         (