diff --git a/dumux/decoupled/common/variableclass.hh b/dumux/decoupled/common/variableclass.hh
index 623f02ec912534284b35a76d7a58ae75cce1f188..1c8827d2a67db1f820c3bd4ed2bd1fd2e4993217 100644
--- a/dumux/decoupled/common/variableclass.hh
+++ b/dumux/decoupled/common/variableclass.hh
@@ -190,7 +190,9 @@ public:
         {
             pressure_.resize(size);
             velocity_.resize(size);
+            velocity_ = Dune::FieldVector<Scalar, dim>(0);
             potential_.resize(size);
+            potential_ = Dune::FieldVector<Scalar, dim>(0);
         }
 private:
     void initializeGlobalVariables(Dune::FieldVector<Scalar, dim>& initialVel)
@@ -263,6 +265,16 @@ public:
         return velocity_;
     }
 
+    const PhasePropertyElemFaceType& potential() const
+    {
+        return potential_;
+    }
+
+    PhasePropertyElemFaceType& potential()
+    {
+        return potential_;
+    }
+
     //! Return vector of wetting phase potential gradients
     Dune::FieldVector<Scalar, numPhase>& potential(int Idx1, int Idx2)
     {