diff --git a/dumux/common/CMakeLists.txt b/dumux/common/CMakeLists.txt
index c0d33e16a691ea3175f5b928e5d60c9136e3f2f9..203c6367569ec9512a373f46efa6439aeaca8d3a 100644
--- a/dumux/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/dumux/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ exceptions.hh
 fixedlengthspline_.hh
 intersectionmapper.hh
 math.hh
+optional.hh
 parameters.hh
 propertysystem.hh
 quad.hh
diff --git a/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/subcontrolvolume.hh b/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/subcontrolvolume.hh
index a9d1dc4db8e2d4b269b7a45acb732de9fa098889..f8875526ff5f8602001239761db6aeaff233d797 100644
--- a/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/subcontrolvolume.hh
+++ b/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/subcontrolvolume.hh
@@ -48,7 +48,11 @@ public:
     // the contructor in the cc case
     CCSubControlVolume(Geometry&& geometry,
                        GridIndexType elementIndex)
-    : ParentType(), geometry_(std::forward<Geometry>(geometry)), elementIndex_(elementIndex) {}
+    : ParentType()
+    , geometry_(std::move(geometry))
+    , center_(geometry_.value().center())
+    , elementIndex_(elementIndex)
+    {}
 
     //! The copy constrcutor
     CCSubControlVolume(const CCSubControlVolume& other) = default;
@@ -64,26 +68,28 @@ public:
         // have to construct it again
         geometry_.release();
         geometry_.emplace(other.geometry_.value());
+        center_ = other.center_;
         elementIndex_ = other.elementIndex_;
         return *this;
     }
 
     //! The move assignment operator
-    CCSubControlVolume& operator=(CCSubControlVolume&& other)
+    CCSubControlVolume& operator=(CCSubControlVolume&& other) noexcept
     {
         // We want to use the default copy/move assignment.
         // But since geometry is not copy assignable :( we
         // have to construct it again
         geometry_.release();
-        geometry_.emplace(other.geometry_.value());
+        geometry_.emplace(std::move(other.geometry_.value()));
+        center_ = std::move(other.center_);
         elementIndex_ = std::move(other.elementIndex_);
         return *this;
     }
 
     //! The center of the sub control volume
-    GlobalPosition center() const
+    const GlobalPosition& center() const
     {
-        return geometry().center();
+        return center_;
     }
 
     //! The volume of the sub control volume
@@ -113,9 +119,9 @@ public:
     }
 
     // The position of the dof this scv is embedded in
-    GlobalPosition dofPosition() const
+    const GlobalPosition& dofPosition() const
     {
-        return geometry().center();
+        return center_;
     }
 
     //! The global index of the element this scv is embedded in
@@ -134,6 +140,7 @@ public:
 private:
     // Work around the fact that geometry is not default constructible
     Optional<Geometry> geometry_;
+    GlobalPosition center_;
     GridIndexType elementIndex_;
 };
 
diff --git a/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/tpfa/fvelementgeometry.hh b/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/tpfa/fvelementgeometry.hh
index 679ddc663a4f4376e1739361aa59d39776a24482..a79239e690c8e86c68a9c9b58819228b000429aa 100644
--- a/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/tpfa/fvelementgeometry.hh
+++ b/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/tpfa/fvelementgeometry.hh
@@ -252,13 +252,27 @@ public:
     void bind(const Element& element)
     {
         bindElement(element);
+
+        neighborScvs_.reserve(element.subEntities(1));
+        neighborScvfIndices_.reserve(element.subEntities(1));
+        neighborScvfs_.reserve(element.subEntities(1));
+
+        std::vector<IndexType> handledNeighbors;
+        handledNeighbors.reserve(element.subEntities(1));
         for (const auto& intersection : intersections(fvGridGeometry().gridView(), element))
         {
-            neighborScvs_.reserve(element.subEntities(1));
-            neighborScvfIndices_.reserve(element.subEntities(1));
-            neighborScvfs_.reserve(element.subEntities(1));
             if (intersection.neighbor())
-                makeNeighborGeometries(intersection.outside());
+            {
+                const auto outside = intersection.outside();
+                const auto outsideIdx = fvGridGeometry().elementMapper().index(outside);
+
+                // make outside geometries only if not done yet (could happen on non-conforming grids)
+                if ( std::find(handledNeighbors.begin(), handledNeighbors.end(), outsideIdx) == handledNeighbors.end() )
+                {
+                    makeNeighborGeometries(outside, outsideIdx);
+                    handledNeighbors.push_back(outsideIdx);
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         if (dim < dimWorld)
@@ -402,10 +416,9 @@ private:
     }
 
     //! create the necessary scvs and scvfs of the neighbor elements to the bound elements
-    void makeNeighborGeometries(const Element& element)
+    void makeNeighborGeometries(const Element& element, const IndexType eIdx)
     {
         // create the neighbor scv
-        const auto eIdx = fvGridGeometry().elementMapper().index(element);
         neighborScvs_.emplace_back(element.geometry(), eIdx);
         neighborScvIndices_.push_back(eIdx);
 
diff --git a/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/tpfa/subcontrolvolumeface.hh b/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/tpfa/subcontrolvolumeface.hh
index e71d5b43151ba8b3cec7528d94df7de0b9cc24ea..a2e800d988c92787cec35c52c17cf766028a62dc 100644
--- a/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/tpfa/subcontrolvolumeface.hh
+++ b/dumux/discretization/cellcentered/tpfa/subcontrolvolumeface.hh
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ public:
     }
 
     //! The center of the sub control volume face
-    GlobalPosition center() const
+    const GlobalPosition& center() const
     {
         return center_;
     }
 
     //! The integration point for flux evaluations in global coordinates
-    GlobalPosition ipGlobal() const
+    const GlobalPosition& ipGlobal() const
     {
         // Return center for now
         return center_;
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public:
     }
 
     //! The unit outer normal of the sub control volume face
-    GlobalPosition unitOuterNormal() const
+    const GlobalPosition& unitOuterNormal() const
     {
         return unitOuterNormal_;
     }
@@ -136,10 +136,11 @@ public:
         return scvfIndex_;
     }
 
-    GlobalPosition corner(unsigned int localIdx) const
+    //! return the i-th corner of this sub control volume face
+    const GlobalPosition& corner(int i) const
     {
-        assert(localIdx < corners_.size() && "provided index exceeds the number of corners");
-        return corners_[localIdx];
+        assert(i < corners_.size() && "provided index exceeds the number of corners");
+        return corners_[i];
     }
 
     //! The geometry of the sub control volume face
diff --git a/dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/subcontrolvolumeface.hh b/dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/subcontrolvolumeface.hh
index 6dd9cc52b9c5e29d8782ebac484eb4ad7fec5bc5..d4a27f09208b59742e31f03583e1ac2129bbef8d 100644
--- a/dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/subcontrolvolumeface.hh
+++ b/dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/subcontrolvolumeface.hh
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #include <dune/common/fvector.hh>
 #include <dumux/discretization/subcontrolvolumefacebase.hh>
 #include <dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/staggeredgeometryhelper.hh>
-#include <dumux/common/optional.hh>
 
 #include <typeinfo>