diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/polyMesh/polyMesh.C b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/polyMesh/polyMesh.C
index 2b0d76a005..c64e26e68d 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/polyMesh/polyMesh.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/polyMesh/polyMesh.C
@@ -927,7 +927,7 @@ Foam::polyMesh::cellTree() const
 
 void Foam::polyMesh::addPatches
 (
-    const List<polyPatch*>& p,
+    PtrList<polyPatch>& plist,
     const bool validBoundary
 )
 {
@@ -942,13 +942,7 @@ void Foam::polyMesh::addPatches
     geometricD_ = Zero;
     solutionD_ = Zero;
 
-    boundary_.setSize(p.size());
-
-    // Copy the patch pointers
-    forAll(p, pI)
-    {
-        boundary_.set(pI, p[pI]);
-    }
+    boundary_.transfer(plist);
 
     // parallelData depends on the processorPatch ordering so force
     // recalculation. Problem: should really be done in removeBoundary but
@@ -1027,6 +1021,19 @@ void Foam::polyMesh::addZones
 }
 
 
+void Foam::polyMesh::addPatches
+(
+    const List<polyPatch*>& p,
+    const bool validBoundary
+)
+{
+    // Acquire ownership of the pointers
+    PtrList<polyPatch> plist(const_cast<List<polyPatch*>&>(p));
+
+    addPatches(plist, validBoundary);
+}
+
+
 const Foam::pointField& Foam::polyMesh::points() const
 {
     if (clearedPrimitives_)
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/polyMesh/polyMesh.H b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/polyMesh/polyMesh.H
index 5421d0e92f..a3e9486adb 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/polyMesh/polyMesh.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/polyMesh/polyMesh.H
@@ -573,7 +573,14 @@ public:
             //- Add boundary patches
             void addPatches
             (
-                const List<polyPatch*>&,
+                PtrList<polyPatch>& plist,
+                const bool validBoundary = true
+            );
+
+            //- Add boundary patches
+            void addPatches
+            (
+                const List<polyPatch*>& p,
                 const bool validBoundary = true
             );
 
diff --git a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.C b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.C
index 8aece6aa55..df461cf197 100644
--- a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.C
+++ b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.C
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ Foam::SolverPerformance<Foam::tensor> Foam::fvMesh::solve
 
 void Foam::fvMesh::addFvPatches
 (
-    const List<polyPatch*>& p,
+    PtrList<polyPatch>& plist,
     const bool validBoundary
 )
 {
@@ -489,12 +489,24 @@ void Foam::fvMesh::addFvPatches
             << abort(FatalError);
     }
 
-    // first add polyPatches
-    addPatches(p, validBoundary);
+    addPatches(plist, validBoundary);
     boundary_.addPatches(boundaryMesh());
 }
 
 
+void Foam::fvMesh::addFvPatches
+(
+    const List<polyPatch*>& p,
+    const bool validBoundary
+)
+{
+    // Acquire ownership of the pointers
+    PtrList<polyPatch> plist(const_cast<List<polyPatch*>&>(p));
+
+    addFvPatches(plist, validBoundary);
+}
+
+
 void Foam::fvMesh::removeFvBoundary()
 {
     if (debug)
diff --git a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.H b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.H
index 4436f37bbf..e0719626a9 100644
--- a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.H
+++ b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.H
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2016-2017 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2016-2019 OpenCFD Ltd.
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ public:
         explicit fvMesh(const IOobject& io);
 
         //- Construct from IOobject or as zero-sized mesh
-        //  Boundary is added using addPatches() member function
+        //  Boundary is added using addFvPatches() member function
         fvMesh(const IOobject& io, const zero, bool syncPar=true);
 
         //- Construct from components without boundary.
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public:
         );
 
         //- Construct without boundary from cells rather than owner/neighbour.
-        //  Boundary is added using addPatches() member function
+        //  Boundary is added using addFvPatches() member function
         fvMesh
         (
             const IOobject& io,
@@ -221,6 +221,13 @@ public:
 
         // Helpers
 
+            //- Add boundary patches. Constructor helper
+            void addFvPatches
+            (
+                PtrList<polyPatch>& plist,
+                const bool validBoundary = true
+            );
+
             //- Add boundary patches. Constructor helper
             void addFvPatches
             (