diff --git a/src/communication.jl b/src/communication.jl
index a865d59..7d62d12 100644
--- a/src/communication.jl
+++ b/src/communication.jl
@@ -45,10 +45,38 @@ function expand(r::UnitRange, factor)
     return a:b
 end
 
-expand(v::AbstractVector, factor) = vec((0x1:factor) .+ (v' .- 0x1) .* factor)
+@kernel function expand_vector_kernel!(dest, src, factor, offset)
+    i = @index(Global)
+
+    @inbounds begin
+        b, a = fldmod1(src[i], offset)
+
+        for f = 1:factor
+            dest[f+(i-0x1)*factor] = a + (f - 0x1) * offset + (b - 0x1) * factor * offset
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+function expand(v::AbstractVector, factor, offset = 1)
+    w = similar(v, length(v) * factor)
+
+    expand_vector_kernel!(get_backend(w), 256)(w, v, factor, offset, ndrange = length(v))
+
+    return w
+end
+
+"""
+    expand(pattern::CommPattern, factor, offset)
+
+Create a new `CommPattern` where the `recvindices` and `sendindices` are
+expanded in size by `factor` entries and offset by `offset`.
 
-function expand(pattern::CommPattern{AT}, factor) where {AT}
-    recvindices = expand(pattern.recvindices, factor)
+For example, to expand a `nodecommpattern` to communicate all fields of an
+array that is indexed via `(node, field, element)` use
+`expand(nodecommpattern(grid), nfields, nnodes)`.
+"""
+function expand(pattern::CommPattern{AT}, factor, offset = 1) where {AT}
+    recvindices = expand(pattern.recvindices, factor, offset)
     recvranks = copy(pattern.recvranks)
     recvrankindices = similar(pattern.recvrankindices)
     @assert eltype(recvrankindices) <: UnitRange
@@ -56,7 +84,7 @@ function expand(pattern::CommPattern{AT}, factor) where {AT}
         recvrankindices[i] = expand(pattern.recvrankindices[i], factor)
     end
 
-    sendindices = expand(pattern.sendindices, factor)
+    sendindices = expand(pattern.sendindices, factor, offset)
     sendranks = copy(pattern.sendranks)
     sendrankindices = similar(pattern.sendrankindices)
     @assert eltype(sendrankindices) <: UnitRange
@@ -109,7 +137,7 @@ end
 
 function _get_mpi_buffers(buffer, rankindices)
     # Hack to make the element type of the buffer arrays concrete
-    @assert eltype(rankindices) == typeof(1:length(rankindices))
+    @assert eltype(rankindices) == UnitRange{eltype(eltype(rankindices))}
     T = typeof(view(buffer, 1:length(rankindices)))
 
     bufs = Array{MPI.Buffer{T}}(undef, length(rankindices))
diff --git a/src/grids.jl b/src/grids.jl
index 4a0255c..8090a49 100644
--- a/src/grids.jl
+++ b/src/grids.jl
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ floattype(grid::AbstractGrid) = floattype(typeof(grid))
 arraytype(grid::AbstractGrid) = arraytype(typeof(grid))
 celltype(grid::AbstractGrid) = celltype(typeof(grid))
 
-struct Grid{C<:AbstractCell,P,V,S,L,T,F,B,PN,N,CTOD,DTOC,CC,FM} <: AbstractGrid{C}
+struct Grid{C<:AbstractCell,P,V,S,L,T,F,B,PN,N,CTOD,DTOC,CC,NCC,FM} <: AbstractGrid{C}
     comm::MPI.Comm
     part::Int
     nparts::Int
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ struct Grid{C<:AbstractCell,P,V,S,L,T,F,B,PN,N,CTOD,DTOC,CC,FM} <: AbstractGrid{
     continuoustodiscontinuous::CTOD
     discontinuoustocontinuous::DTOC
     communicatingcells::CC
-    noncommunicatingcells::CC
+    noncommunicatingcells::NCC
     facemaps::FM
 end
 
diff --git a/test/communication.jl b/test/communication.jl
index f6c8ca2..9fb6056 100644
--- a/test/communication.jl
+++ b/test/communication.jl
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
         sendranks = Cint[1, 2]
         sendrankindices = [1:2, 3:5]
 
-        pattern = Raven.CommPattern{Array}(
+        originalpattern = Raven.CommPattern{Array}(
             recvindices,
             recvranks,
             recvrankindices,
@@ -23,7 +23,16 @@
             sendrankindices,
         )
 
-        pattern = Raven.expand(pattern, 3)
+        pattern = Raven.expand(originalpattern, 3, 5)
+
+        @test pattern.recvranks == recvranks
+        @test pattern.recvindices == [17, 22, 27, 18, 23, 28, 19, 24, 29, 20, 25, 30]
+        @test pattern.recvrankindices == UnitRange{Int64}[1:3, 4:12]
+        @test pattern.sendranks == sendranks
+        @test pattern.sendindices == [1, 6, 11, 3, 8, 13, 1, 6, 11, 3, 8, 13, 5, 10, 15]
+        @test pattern.sendrankindices == UnitRange{Int64}[1:6, 7:15]
+
+        pattern = Raven.expand(originalpattern, 3)
 
         @test pattern.recvranks == recvranks
         @test pattern.recvindices == [19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]