diff --git a/include/comm_quda.h b/include/comm_quda.h
index 8f37bcd032..8496efab5a 100644
--- a/include/comm_quda.h
+++ b/include/comm_quda.h
@@ -432,7 +432,18 @@ namespace quda
   */
   void comm_broadcast(void *data, size_t nbytes, int root = 0);
 
+  /**
+     @brief Multi-process barrier that applies to the present
+     communicator
+   */
   void comm_barrier(void);
+
+  /**
+     @brief Multi-process barrier that is global regardless of the
+     present communicator
+   */
+  void comm_barrier_global(void);
+
   void comm_abort(int status);
   void comm_abort_(int status);
 
diff --git a/lib/communicator_stack.cpp b/lib/communicator_stack.cpp
index adfd332f2b..ae36f5b2d0 100644
--- a/lib/communicator_stack.cpp
+++ b/lib/communicator_stack.cpp
@@ -60,14 +60,17 @@ namespace quda
     // used to store the size of the tunecache at the point of splitting
     static size_t tune_cache_size = 0;
 
+    // destroy any message handles associate with the prior communicator
+    LatticeField::freeGhostBuffer();
+    ColorSpinorField::freeGhostBuffer();
+    FieldTmp<ColorSpinorField>::destroy();
+
     auto search = communicator_stack.find(split_key);
     if (search == communicator_stack.end()) {
       communicator_stack.emplace(std::piecewise_construct, std::forward_as_tuple(split_key),
                                  std::forward_as_tuple(get_default_communicator(), split_key.data()));
     }
 
-    LatticeField::freeGhostBuffer(); // Destroy the (IPC) Comm buffers with the old communicator.
-
     auto split_key_old = current_key;
     current_key = split_key;
 
@@ -362,6 +365,8 @@ namespace quda
 
   void comm_barrier(void) { get_current_communicator().comm_barrier(); }
 
+  void comm_barrier_global(void) { get_default_communicator().comm_barrier(); }
+
   void comm_abort_(int status) { Communicator::comm_abort_(status); };
 
   int commDim(int dim) { return get_current_communicator().commDim(dim); }