diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
index 476f477373..26ee3e062a 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
@@ -94,11 +94,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 #   include "setRootCase.H"
 
     word regionName = fvMesh::defaultRegion;
+    word regionDir = word::null;
 
     if (args.options().found("region"))
     {
         regionName = args.options()["region"];
-
+        regionDir = regionName;
         Info<< "Decomposing mesh " << regionName << nl << endl;
     }
 
@@ -116,7 +117,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     // determine the existing processor count directly
     label nProcs = 0;
-    while (isDir(runTime.path()/(word("processor") + name(nProcs))))
+    while
+    (
+        isDir
+        (
+            runTime.path()
+           /(word("processor") + name(nProcs))
+           /runTime.constant()
+           /regionDir
+           /polyMesh::meshSubDir
+        )
+    )
     {
         ++nProcs;
     }
@@ -130,7 +141,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             (
                 "decomposeParDict",
                 runTime.time().system(),
-                regionName,
+                regionDir,          // use region if non-standard
                 runTime,
                 IOobject::MUST_READ,
                 IOobject::NO_WRITE,
diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposeParDict b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposeParDict
index 288797ed1e..98ec9b7087 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposeParDict
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposeParDict
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ FoamFile
 
 numberOfSubdomains  4;
 
-// preservePatches (inlet);
+//- Keep owner and neighbour on same processor for faces in zones:
 // preserveFaceZones (heater solid1 solid3);
 
 method          simple;
diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/distributeCells.C b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/distributeCells.C
index ad78b2a914..af47af244f 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/distributeCells.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/distributeCells.C
@@ -45,35 +45,6 @@ void domainDecomposition::distributeCells()
 
     labelHashSet sameProcFaces;
 
-    if (decompositionDict_.found("preservePatches"))
-    {
-        wordList pNames(decompositionDict_.lookup("preservePatches"));
-
-        Info<< "Keeping owner and neighbour of faces in patches " << pNames
-            << " on same processor" << endl;
-
-        const polyBoundaryMesh& patches = boundaryMesh();
-
-        forAll(pNames, i)
-        {
-            label patchI = patches.findPatchID(pNames[i]);
-
-            if (patchI == -1)
-            {
-                FatalErrorIn("domainDecomposition::distributeCells()")
-                    << "Unknown preservePatch " << pNames[i]
-                    << endl << "Valid patches are " << patches.names()
-                    << exit(FatalError);
-            }
-
-            const polyPatch& pp = patches[patchI];
-
-            forAll(pp, i)
-            {
-                sameProcFaces.insert(pp.start() + i);
-            }
-        }
-    }
     if (decompositionDict_.found("preserveFaceZones"))
     {
         wordList zNames(decompositionDict_.lookup("preserveFaceZones"));
@@ -104,14 +75,6 @@ void domainDecomposition::distributeCells()
         }
     }
 
-    if (sameProcFaces.size())
-    {
-        Info<< "Selected " << sameProcFaces.size()
-            << " faces whose owner and neighbour cell should be kept on the"
-            << " same processor" << endl;
-    }
-
-
 
     // Construct decomposition method and either do decomposition on
     // cell centres or on agglomeration
@@ -129,6 +92,10 @@ void domainDecomposition::distributeCells()
     }
     else
     {
+        Info<< "Selected " << sameProcFaces.size()
+            << " faces whose owner and neighbour cell should be kept on the"
+            << " same processor" << endl;
+
         // Faces where owner and neighbour are not 'connected' (= all except
         // sameProcFaces)
         boolList blockedFace(nFaces(), true);