diff --git a/src/dynamicMesh/polyTopoChange/polyTopoChange/hexRef8.C b/src/dynamicMesh/polyTopoChange/polyTopoChange/hexRef8.C
index 827913a1c1..261945476d 100644
--- a/src/dynamicMesh/polyTopoChange/polyTopoChange/hexRef8.C
+++ b/src/dynamicMesh/polyTopoChange/polyTopoChange/hexRef8.C
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ License
 #include "mapDistributePolyMesh.H"
 #include "refinementData.H"
 #include "refinementDistanceData.H"
+#include "degenerateMatcher.H"
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Static Data Members * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
@@ -1750,6 +1751,184 @@ void Foam::hexRef8::setInstance(const fileName& inst)
 }
 
 
+void Foam::hexRef8::collectLevelPoints
+(
+    const labelList& f,
+    const label level,
+    DynamicList<label>& points
+) const
+{
+    forAll(f, fp)
+    {
+        if (pointLevel_[f[fp]] <= level)
+        {
+            points.append(f[fp]);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+
+void Foam::hexRef8::collectLevelPoints
+(
+    const labelList& meshPoints,
+    const labelList& f,
+    const label level,
+    DynamicList<label>& points
+) const
+{
+    forAll(f, fp)
+    {
+        label pointI = meshPoints[f[fp]];
+        if (pointLevel_[pointI] <= level)
+        {
+            points.append(pointI);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+
+// Return true if we've found 6 quads. faces guaranteed to be outwards pointing.
+bool Foam::hexRef8::matchHexShape
+(
+    const label cellI,
+    const label cellLevel,
+    DynamicList<face>& quads
+) const
+{
+    const cell& cFaces = mesh_.cells()[cellI];
+
+    // Work arrays
+    DynamicList<label> verts(4);
+    quads.clear();
+
+
+    // 1. pick up any faces with four cellLevel points
+
+    forAll(cFaces, i)
+    {
+        label faceI = cFaces[i];
+        const face& f = mesh_.faces()[faceI];
+
+        verts.clear();
+        collectLevelPoints(f, cellLevel, verts);
+        if (verts.size() == 4)
+        {
+            if (mesh_.faceOwner()[faceI] != cellI)
+            {
+                reverse(verts);
+            }
+            quads.append(face(0));
+            labelList& quadVerts = quads.last();
+            quadVerts.transfer(verts);
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    if (quads.size() < 6)
+    {
+        Map<labelList> pointFaces(2*cFaces.size());
+
+        forAll(cFaces, i)
+        {
+            label faceI = cFaces[i];
+            const face& f = mesh_.faces()[faceI];
+
+            // Pick up any faces with only one level point.
+            // See if there are four of these where the commont point
+            // is a level+1 point. This common point is then the mid of
+            // a split face.
+
+            verts.clear();
+            collectLevelPoints(f, cellLevel, verts);
+            if (verts.size() == 1)
+            {
+                // Add to pointFaces for any level+1 point (this might be
+                // a midpoint of a split face)
+                forAll(f, fp)
+                {
+                    label pointI = f[fp];
+                    if (pointLevel_[pointI] == cellLevel+1)
+                    {
+                        Map<labelList>::iterator iter =
+                            pointFaces.find(pointI);
+                        if (iter != pointFaces.end())
+                        {
+                            labelList& pFaces = iter();
+                            if (findIndex(pFaces, faceI) == -1)
+                            {
+                                pFaces.append(faceI);
+                            }
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            pointFaces.insert
+                            (
+                                pointI,
+                                labelList(1, faceI)
+                            );
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // 2. Check if we've collected any midPoints.
+        forAllConstIter(Map<labelList>, pointFaces, iter)
+        {
+            const labelList& pFaces = iter();
+
+            if (pFaces.size() == 4)
+            {
+                // Collect and orient.
+                faceList fourFaces(pFaces.size());
+                forAll(pFaces, pFaceI)
+                {
+                    label faceI = pFaces[pFaceI];
+                    const face& f = mesh_.faces()[faceI];
+                    if (mesh_.faceOwner()[faceI] == cellI)
+                    {
+                        fourFaces[pFaceI] = f;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        fourFaces[pFaceI] = f.reverseFace();
+                    }
+                }
+
+                primitivePatch bigFace
+                (
+                    SubList<face>(fourFaces, fourFaces.size()),
+                    mesh_.points()
+                );
+                const labelListList& edgeLoops = bigFace.edgeLoops();
+
+                if (edgeLoops.size() == 1)
+                {
+                    // Collect the 4 cellLevel points
+                    verts.clear();
+                    collectLevelPoints
+                    (
+                        bigFace.meshPoints(),
+                        bigFace.edgeLoops()[0],
+                        cellLevel,
+                        verts
+                    );
+
+                    if (verts.size() == 4)
+                    {
+                        quads.append(face(0));
+                        labelList& quadVerts = quads.last();
+                        quadVerts.transfer(verts);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return (quads.size() == 6);
+}
+
+
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Constructors  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 // Construct from mesh, read refinement data
@@ -4337,6 +4516,9 @@ void Foam::hexRef8::updateMesh
 
     // Update face removal engine
     faceRemover_.updateMesh(map);
+
+    // Clear cell shapes
+    cellShapesPtr_.clear();
 }
 
 
@@ -4421,6 +4603,9 @@ void Foam::hexRef8::subset
 
     // Nothing needs doing to faceRemover.
     //faceRemover_.subset(pointMap, faceMap, cellMap);
+
+    // Clear cell shapes
+    cellShapesPtr_.clear();
 }
 
 
@@ -4447,6 +4632,9 @@ void Foam::hexRef8::distribute(const mapDistributePolyMesh& map)
 
     // Update face removal engine
     faceRemover_.distribute(map);
+
+    // Clear cell shapes
+    cellShapesPtr_.clear();
 }
 
 
@@ -4922,6 +5110,66 @@ void Foam::hexRef8::checkRefinementLevels
 }
 
 
+const Foam::cellShapeList& Foam::hexRef8::cellShapes() const
+{
+    if (cellShapesPtr_.empty())
+    {
+        if (debug)
+        {
+            Pout<< "hexRef8::cellShapes() : calculating splitHex cellShapes."
+                << " cellLevel:" << cellLevel_.size()
+                << " pointLevel:" << pointLevel_.size()
+                << endl;
+        }
+
+        const cellShapeList& meshShapes = mesh_.cellShapes();
+        cellShapesPtr_.reset(new cellShapeList(meshShapes));
+
+        label nSplitHex = 0;
+        label nUnrecognised = 0;
+
+        forAll(cellLevel_, cellI)
+        {
+            if (meshShapes[cellI].model().index() == 0)
+            {
+                label level = cellLevel_[cellI];
+
+                // Return true if we've found 6 quads
+                DynamicList<face> quads;
+                bool haveQuads = matchHexShape
+                (
+                    cellI,
+                    level,
+                    quads
+                );
+
+                if (haveQuads)
+                {
+                    faceList faces(quads.xfer());
+                    cellShapesPtr_()[cellI] = degenerateMatcher::match(faces);
+                    nSplitHex++;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    nUnrecognised++;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if (debug)
+        {
+            Pout<< "hexRef8::cellShapes() :"
+                << " nCells:" << mesh_.nCells() << " of which" << nl
+                << "    primitive:" << (mesh_.nCells()-nSplitHex-nUnrecognised)
+                << nl
+                << "    split-hex:" << nSplitHex << nl
+                << "    poly     :" << nUnrecognised << nl
+                << endl;
+        }
+    }
+    return cellShapesPtr_();
+}
+
+
 
 //
 // Unrefinement
diff --git a/src/dynamicMesh/polyTopoChange/polyTopoChange/hexRef8.H b/src/dynamicMesh/polyTopoChange/polyTopoChange/hexRef8.H
index 503412dd38..31e2a5587d 100644
--- a/src/dynamicMesh/polyTopoChange/polyTopoChange/hexRef8.H
+++ b/src/dynamicMesh/polyTopoChange/polyTopoChange/hexRef8.H
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ SourceFiles
 #include "refinementHistory.H"
 #include "PackedBoolList.H"
 #include "uniformDimensionedFields.H"
+#include "cellShapeList.H"
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
@@ -89,6 +90,9 @@ class hexRef8
         //- Level of saved cells
         Map<label> savedCellLevel_;
 
+        //- cell shapes when seen as split hexes
+        mutable autoPtr<cellShapeList> cellShapesPtr_;
+
 
     // Private Member Functions
 
@@ -303,6 +307,34 @@ class hexRef8
         void checkWantedRefinementLevels(const labelList&) const;
 
 
+        // Cellshape recognition
+
+            //- Collect all points on face of certain level
+            void collectLevelPoints
+            (
+                const labelList& f,
+                const label level,
+                DynamicList<label>& points
+            ) const;
+
+            //- Collect all points on face (in local numbering) of certain level
+            void collectLevelPoints
+            (
+                const labelList& meshPoints,
+                const labelList& f,
+                const label level,
+                DynamicList<label>& points
+            ) const;
+
+            //- Collect all faces with four corner points and return true if
+            //  hex was matched (6 faces of each four corner points)
+            bool matchHexShape
+            (
+                const label cellI,
+                const label cellLevel,
+                DynamicList<face>& quads
+            ) const;
+
 
         //- Disallow default bitwise copy construct
         hexRef8(const hexRef8&);
@@ -497,6 +529,10 @@ public:
                 const labelList& pointsToCheck
             ) const;
 
+            //- Utility: get hexes as cell shapes
+            const cellShapeList& cellShapes() const;
+
+
         // Unrefinement (undoing refinement, not arbitrary coarsening)
 
             //- Return the points at the centre of top-level split cells