diff --git a/femtools/Supermesh.F90 b/femtools/Supermesh.F90
index 0c3a690880..bbaa21d870 100644
--- a/femtools/Supermesh.F90
+++ b/femtools/Supermesh.F90
@@ -290,6 +290,10 @@ subroutine construct_supermesh(new_positions, ele_B, old_positions, map_BA, supe
         assert(continuity(intersection(j)) < 0)
       else
         intersection(j) = intersect_elements(old_positions, ele_A, pos_B, supermesh_shape)
+        if (.not. has_references(intersection(j))) then
+          llnode => llnode%next
+          cycle
+        end if
         assert(continuity(intersection(j)) < 0)
       end if
 
diff --git a/femtools/tests/test_intersection_finder_completeness.F90 b/femtools/tests/test_intersection_finder_completeness.F90
index 18b5809c89..b2859f22d8 100644
--- a/femtools/tests/test_intersection_finder_completeness.F90
+++ b/femtools/tests/test_intersection_finder_completeness.F90
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ subroutine test_intersection_finder_completeness
     do while(associated(llnode))
       ele_A = llnode%value
       intersection = intersect_elements(positionsA, ele_A, ele_val(positionsB, ele_B), ele_shape(positionsB, ele_B))
+      if (.not. has_references(intersection)) then
+         llnode => llnode%next
+         cycle
+      end if
       do ele_C=1,ele_count(intersection)
         call transform_to_physical(intersection, ele_C, detwei=detwei)
         vols_C = vols_C + sum(detwei)
diff --git a/femtools/tests/test_intersection_finder_completeness_3d.F90 b/femtools/tests/test_intersection_finder_completeness_3d.F90
index 6a6d863860..e0cd29c3a5 100644
--- a/femtools/tests/test_intersection_finder_completeness_3d.F90
+++ b/femtools/tests/test_intersection_finder_completeness_3d.F90
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ subroutine test_intersection_finder_completeness_3d
     do while(associated(llnode))
       ele_A = llnode%value
       intersection = intersect_elements(positionsA, ele_A, ele_val(positionsB, ele_B), ele_shape(positionsB, ele_B))
+      if (.not. has_references(intersection)) then
+         llnode => llnode%next
+         cycle
+      end if
       do ele_C=1,ele_count(intersection)
         call transform_to_physical(intersection, ele_C, detwei=detwei)
         vols_C = vols_C + sum(detwei)
diff --git a/femtools/tests/test_quad_supermesh.F90 b/femtools/tests/test_quad_supermesh.F90
index 3b28c8dcc6..3cd961ea0c 100644
--- a/femtools/tests/test_quad_supermesh.F90
+++ b/femtools/tests/test_quad_supermesh.F90
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ subroutine test_quad_supermesh
     do while(associated(llnode))
       ele_A = llnode%value
       intersection = intersect_elements(positionsA, ele_A, ele_val(positionsB, ele_B), supermesh_shape)
+      if (.not. has_references(intersection)) then
+         llnode => llnode%next
+         cycle
+      end if
 #define DUMP_SUPERMESH_INTERSECTIONS
 #ifdef DUMP_SUPERMESH_INTERSECTIONS
       if (ele_count(intersection) /= 0) then
diff --git a/femtools/tests/test_tet_intersector.F90 b/femtools/tests/test_tet_intersector.F90
index 33aaca3da6..3a775a86aa 100644
--- a/femtools/tests/test_tet_intersector.F90
+++ b/femtools/tests/test_tet_intersector.F90
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ subroutine test_tet_intersector
       fail = (vol_libwm .fne. vol_fort)
       call report_test("[tet_intersector volumes]", fail, .false., "Should give the same volumes of intersection")
 
-      call deallocate(libwm)
+      if (has_references(libwm)) then
+         call deallocate(libwm)
+      end if
       if (stat == 0) then
         call deallocate(fort)
       end if
diff --git a/femtools/tests/test_unify_meshes.F90 b/femtools/tests/test_unify_meshes.F90
index f6d8ffc043..feb37c98cd 100644
--- a/femtools/tests/test_unify_meshes.F90
+++ b/femtools/tests/test_unify_meshes.F90
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@ subroutine test_unify_meshes
     do while(associated(llnode))
       ele_A = llnode%value
       intersection = intersect_elements(positionsA, ele_A, ele_val(positionsB, ele_B), supermesh_shape)
+      if (.not. has_references(intersection)) then
+          llnode => llnode%next
+          cycle
+      end if
+
       call unify_meshes_quadratic(accum_positions, intersection, accum_positions_tmp)
       call deallocate(accum_positions)
       accum_positions = accum_positions_tmp