diff --git a/applications/utilities/mesh/manipulation/stitchMesh/stitchMesh.C b/applications/utilities/mesh/manipulation/stitchMesh/stitchMesh.C
index b382a79d0d..8034fe5b9b 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/mesh/manipulation/stitchMesh/stitchMesh.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/mesh/manipulation/stitchMesh/stitchMesh.C
@@ -68,6 +68,104 @@ Description
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
+label addPointZone(const polyMesh& mesh, const word& name)
+{
+    label zoneID = mesh.pointZones().findZoneID(name);
+
+    if (zoneID != -1)
+    {
+        Info<< "Reusing existing pointZone "
+            << mesh.pointZones()[zoneID].name()
+            << " at index " << zoneID << endl;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        pointZoneMesh& pointZones = const_cast<polyMesh&>(mesh).pointZones();
+        zoneID = pointZones.size();
+        Info<< "Adding pointZone " << name << " at index " << zoneID << endl;
+
+        pointZones.setSize(zoneID+1);
+        pointZones.set
+        (
+            zoneID,
+            new pointZone
+            (
+                name,
+                labelList(0),
+                zoneID,
+                pointZones
+            )
+        );
+    }
+    return zoneID;
+}
+
+
+label addFaceZone(const polyMesh& mesh, const word& name)
+{
+    label zoneID = mesh.faceZones().findZoneID(name);
+
+    if (zoneID != -1)
+    {
+        Info<< "Reusing existing faceZone " << mesh.faceZones()[zoneID].name()
+            << " at index " << zoneID << endl;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        faceZoneMesh& faceZones = const_cast<polyMesh&>(mesh).faceZones();
+        zoneID = faceZones.size();
+        Info<< "Adding faceZone " << name << " at index " << zoneID << endl;
+
+        faceZones.setSize(zoneID+1);
+        faceZones.set
+        (
+            zoneID,
+            new faceZone
+            (
+                name,
+                labelList(0),
+                boolList(),
+                zoneID,
+                faceZones
+            )
+        );
+    }
+    return zoneID;
+}
+
+
+label addCellZone(const polyMesh& mesh, const word& name)
+{
+    label zoneID = mesh.cellZones().findZoneID(name);
+
+    if (zoneID != -1)
+    {
+        Info<< "Reusing existing cellZone " << mesh.cellZones()[zoneID].name()
+            << " at index " << zoneID << endl;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        cellZoneMesh& cellZones = const_cast<polyMesh&>(mesh).cellZones();
+        zoneID = cellZones.size();
+        Info<< "Adding cellZone " << name << " at index " << zoneID << endl;
+
+        cellZones.setSize(zoneID+1);
+        cellZones.set
+        (
+            zoneID,
+            new cellZone
+            (
+                name,
+                labelList(0),
+                zoneID,
+                cellZones
+            )
+        );
+    }
+    return zoneID;
+}
+
+
 // Checks whether patch present
 void checkPatch(const polyBoundaryMesh& bMesh, const word& name)
 {
@@ -211,29 +309,20 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     polyTopoChanger stitcher(mesh);
     stitcher.setSize(1);
 
-    DynamicList<pointZone*> pz;
-    DynamicList<faceZone*> fz;
-    DynamicList<cellZone*> cz;
+    mesh.pointZones().clearAddressing();
+    mesh.faceZones().clearAddressing();
+    mesh.cellZones().clearAddressing();
 
     if (perfectCover)
     {
         // Add empty zone for resulting internal faces
-        fz.append
-        (
-            new faceZone
-            (
-                cutZoneName,
-                isf,
-                boolList(masterPatch.size(), false),
-                0,
-                mesh.faceZones()
-            )
-        );
+        label cutZoneID = addFaceZone(mesh, cutZoneName);
 
-        // Note: make sure to add the zones BEFORE constructing polyMeshModifier
-        // (since looks up various zones at construction time)
-        Info<< "Adding point and face zones" << endl;
-        mesh.addZones(pz.shrink(), fz.shrink(), cz.shrink());
+        mesh.faceZones()[cutZoneID].resetAddressing
+        (
+            isf,
+            boolList(masterPatch.size(), false)
+        );
 
         // Add the perfect interface mesh modifier
         stitcher.set
@@ -252,27 +341,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
     else
     {
-        pz.append
-        (
-            new pointZone
-            (
-                mergePatchName + "CutPointZone",
-                labelList(0),
-                0,
-                mesh.pointZones()
-            )
-        );
+        label pointZoneID = addPointZone(mesh, mergePatchName + "CutPointZone");
+        mesh.pointZones()[pointZoneID] = labelList(0);
 
-        fz.append
+        label masterZoneID = addFaceZone(mesh, mergePatchName + "MasterZone");
+
+        mesh.faceZones()[masterZoneID].resetAddressing
         (
-            new faceZone
-            (
-                mergePatchName + "MasterZone",
-                isf,
-                boolList(masterPatch.size(), false),
-                0,
-                mesh.faceZones()
-            )
+            isf,
+            boolList(masterPatch.size(), false)
         );
 
         // Slave patch
@@ -284,42 +361,27 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         labelList osf(slavePatch.size());
 
-        forAll(osf, i)
+        forAll (osf, i)
         {
             osf[i] = slavePatch.start() + i;
         }
 
-        fz.append
+        label slaveZoneID = addFaceZone(mesh, mergePatchName + "SlaveZone");
+        mesh.faceZones()[slaveZoneID].resetAddressing
         (
-            new faceZone
-            (
-                mergePatchName + "SlaveZone",
-                osf,
-                boolList(slavePatch.size(), false),
-                1,
-                mesh.faceZones()
-            )
+            osf,
+            boolList(slavePatch.size(), false)
         );
 
         // Add empty zone for cut faces
-        fz.append
+        label cutZoneID = addFaceZone(mesh, cutZoneName);
+        mesh.faceZones()[cutZoneID].resetAddressing
         (
-            new faceZone
-            (
-                cutZoneName,
-                labelList(0),
-                boolList(0, false),
-                2,
-                mesh.faceZones()
-            )
+            labelList(0),
+            boolList(0, false)
         );
 
 
-        // Note: make sure to add the zones BEFORE constructing polyMeshModifier
-        // (since looks up various zones at construction time)
-        Info<< "Adding point and face zones" << endl;
-        mesh.addZones(pz.shrink(), fz.shrink(), cz.shrink());
-
         // Add the sliding interface mesh modifier
         stitcher.set
         (