diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/createMeshAccounting.H b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/createMeshAccounting.H
index 909d3dfedf..13c7a6034d 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/createMeshAccounting.H
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/createMeshAccounting.H
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     \\  /    A nd           | www.openfoam.com
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    Copyright (C) 2021 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    Copyright (C) 2021-2022 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM, distributed under GPL-3.0-or-later.
@@ -65,18 +65,7 @@ PtrList<ensightFaMesh> ensightMeshesFa(regionNames.size());
 
         if (doFiniteArea)
         {
-            autoPtr<faMesh> faMeshPtr;
-
-            const bool oldThrowingError = FatalError.throwing(true);
-            try
-            {
-                faMeshPtr.reset(new faMesh(mesh));
-            }
-            catch (const Foam::error& err)
-            {
-                faMeshPtr.reset(nullptr);
-            }
-            FatalError.throwing(oldThrowingError);
+            autoPtr<faMesh> faMeshPtr(faMesh::TryNew(mesh));
 
             if (faMeshPtr)
             {
@@ -91,7 +80,7 @@ PtrList<ensightFaMesh> ensightMeshesFa(regionNames.size());
                     )
                 );
 
-                meshesFa.set(regioni, faMeshPtr);
+                meshesFa.set(regioni, std::move(faMeshPtr));
 
                 ensightMeshesFa.set
                 (
diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToVTK/convertAreaFields.H b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToVTK/convertAreaFields.H
index f9f15fb482..ddcebf63e4 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToVTK/convertAreaFields.H
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToVTK/convertAreaFields.H
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     \\  /    A nd           | www.openfoam.com
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    Copyright (C) 2018-2021 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    Copyright (C) 2018-2022 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM.
@@ -46,16 +46,7 @@ if (doFiniteArea)
 
     if (nAreaFields)
     {
-        const bool oldThrowingError = FatalError.throwing(true);
-        try
-        {
-            faMeshPtr.reset(new faMesh(meshProxy.baseMesh()));
-        }
-        catch (const Foam::error& err)
-        {
-            faMeshPtr.clear();
-        }
-        FatalError.throwing(oldThrowingError);
+        faMeshPtr = faMesh::TryNew(meshProxy.baseMesh());
     }
 
     if (faMeshPtr && nAreaFields)
diff --git a/src/finiteArea/Make/files b/src/finiteArea/Make/files
index 2badfb337d..7c2cdd4123 100644
--- a/src/finiteArea/Make/files
+++ b/src/finiteArea/Make/files
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 faMesh/faGlobalMeshData/faGlobalMeshData.C
 faMesh/faMesh.C
+faMesh/faMeshNew.C
 faMesh/faMeshDemandDrivenData.C
 faMesh/faMeshPatches.C
 faMesh/faMeshTopology.C
diff --git a/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.H b/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.H
index 8a3ff124bb..731a2c8208 100644
--- a/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.H
+++ b/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMesh.H
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ Author
 
 \*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-#ifndef faMesh_H
-#define faMesh_H
+#ifndef Foam_faMesh_H
+#define Foam_faMesh_H
 
 #include "MeshObject.H"
 #include "polyMesh.H"
@@ -454,6 +454,15 @@ class faMesh
         }
 
 
+    // Static Functions
+
+        //- Test if faSchemes/faSolution files are available
+        static bool hasSystemFiles(const polyMesh& pMesh);
+
+        //- Test if all files needed for read construction are available
+        static bool hasFiles(const polyMesh& pMesh);
+
+
 public:
 
     // Public Typedefs
@@ -504,6 +513,12 @@ public:
     virtual ~faMesh();
 
 
+    // Static Functions
+
+        //- Read construction from polyMesh if all files are available
+        static autoPtr<faMesh> TryNew(const polyMesh& pMesh);
+
+
     // Member Functions
 
     // Helpers
diff --git a/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMeshNew.C b/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMeshNew.C
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1fcfe24458
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/finiteArea/faMesh/faMeshNew.C
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
+  =========                 |
+  \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
+   \\    /   O peration     |
+    \\  /    A nd           | www.openfoam.com
+     \\/     M anipulation  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    Copyright (C) 2022 OpenCFD Ltd.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+License
+    This file is part of OpenFOAM.
+
+    OpenFOAM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+    under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    OpenFOAM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+    ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+    for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with OpenFOAM.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+#include "faMesh.H"
+#include "polyMesh.H"
+#include "fileOperation.H"
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Selectors * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+bool Foam::faMesh::hasSystemFiles(const polyMesh& pMesh)
+{
+    // Expect
+    // - system/faSchemes
+    // - system/faSolution
+
+    const fileOperation& fp = Foam::fileHandler();
+
+    bool looksValid = true;
+
+    // Global files: system/{faSchemes,faSolution}
+    for
+    (
+        const word& expect
+      : List<word>
+        ({
+            {"faSchemes"},
+            {"faSolution"}
+        })
+    )
+    {
+        fileName found
+        (
+            fp.filePath
+            (
+                true,  // global
+                IOobject
+                (
+                    expect,
+                    pMesh.time().system(),
+                    pMesh,
+                    IOobject::MUST_READ,
+                    IOobject::NO_WRITE,
+                    false
+                ),
+                expect // typeName (ununsed?)
+            )
+        );
+
+        if (found.empty())
+        {
+            looksValid = false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    Pstream::broadcast(looksValid);
+
+    return looksValid;
+}
+
+
+bool Foam::faMesh::hasFiles(const polyMesh& pMesh)
+{
+    // As well as system/{faSchemes,faSolution}
+    //
+    // expect these:
+    // - timeValue/faMesh/faBoundary
+    // - timeValue/instance/faMesh/faceLabels
+
+    bool looksValid = hasSystemFiles(pMesh);
+
+    if (looksValid)
+    {
+        const fileOperation& fp = Foam::fileHandler();
+
+        fileName subDir(pMesh.dbDir()/faMesh::meshSubDir);
+
+        for
+        (
+            const wordPair& expect
+          : List<wordPair>
+            ({
+                {"faBoundary", "faBoundaryMesh"},
+                {"faceLabels", "labelList"}
+            })
+        )
+        {
+            const word& dataFile = expect.first();
+            const word& dataClass = expect.second();
+
+            fileName found
+            (
+                fp.filePath
+                (
+                    false,  // non-global
+                    IOobject
+                    (
+                        dataFile,
+                        pMesh.time().findInstance(subDir, dataFile),
+                        faMesh::meshSubDir,
+                        pMesh,
+                        IOobject::MUST_READ,
+                        IOobject::NO_WRITE,
+                        false
+                    ),
+                    dataClass // typeName (ununsed?)
+                )
+            );
+
+            if (found.empty())
+            {
+                looksValid = false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        Pstream::broadcast(looksValid);
+    }
+
+    return looksValid;
+}
+
+
+Foam::autoPtr<Foam::faMesh> Foam::faMesh::TryNew(const polyMesh& pMesh)
+{
+    if (faMesh::hasFiles(pMesh))
+    {
+        return autoPtr<faMesh>::New(pMesh);
+    }
+
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
+
+// ************************************************************************* //