diff --git a/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMesh.C b/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMesh.C
index a4d6d8c38e..de3130d9d8 100644
--- a/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMesh.C
+++ b/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMesh.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ Foam::blockMesh::blockMesh(const IOdictionary& dict, const word& regionName)
 :
     meshDict_(dict),
     verboseOutput(meshDict_.lookupOrDefault("verbose", true)),
+    checkFaceCorrespondence_
+    (
+        meshDict_.lookupOrDefault("checkFaceCorrespondence", true)
+    ),
     geometry_
     (
         IOobject
diff --git a/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMesh.H b/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMesh.H
index 74471c8e90..9510553275 100644
--- a/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMesh.H
+++ b/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMesh.H
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ class blockMesh
         //- Switch for verbose output
         bool verboseOutput;
 
+        //- Switch checking face consistency (defaults to true)
+        bool checkFaceCorrespondence_;
+
         //- Optional searchable geometry to project face-points to
         searchableSurfaces geometry_;
 
diff --git a/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMeshMerge.C b/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMeshMerge.C
index 1cccc5a2fe..2ef5796037 100644
--- a/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMeshMerge.C
+++ b/src/mesh/blockMesh/blockMesh/blockMeshMerge.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -212,7 +212,11 @@ void Foam::blockMesh::calcMergeInfo()
         const List<FixedList<label, 4>>& blockNfaceFaces =
             blocks[blockNlabel].boundaryPatches()[blockNfaceLabel];
 
-        if (blockPfaceFaces.size() != blockNfaceFaces.size())
+        if
+        (
+            checkFaceCorrespondence_
+         && blockPfaceFaces.size() != blockNfaceFaces.size()
+        )
         {
             FatalErrorInFunction
                 << "Inconsistent number of faces between block pair "