diff --git a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/patchDistMethods/patchDistMethod/patchDistMethod.H b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/patchDistMethods/patchDistMethod/patchDistMethod.H
index 774f6d9d5..c5cbdb296 100644
--- a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/patchDistMethods/patchDistMethod/patchDistMethod.H
+++ b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/patchDistMethods/patchDistMethod/patchDistMethod.H
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@ public:
 
     // Member Functions
 
+        //- Return the patchIDs
+        const labelHashSet& patchIDs() const
+        {
+            return patchIDs_;
+        }
+
         //- Update cached geometry when the mesh moves
         virtual bool movePoints()
         {
diff --git a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/wallDist/wallDist.C b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/wallDist/wallDist.C
index d06a8456b..21ef0d7fd 100644
--- a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/wallDist/wallDist.C
+++ b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/wallDist/wallDist.C
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ License
 \*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 #include "wallDist.H"
-#include "wallFvPatch.H"
+#include "wallPolyPatch.H"
+#include "fixedValueFvPatchFields.H"
+#include "zeroGradientFvPatchFields.H"
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Static Data Members * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
@@ -34,6 +36,26 @@ namespace Foam
 }
 
 
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * Private Member Functions  * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+template<class Type>
+Foam::wordList Foam::wallDist::patchTypes(const labelHashSet& patchIDs) const
+{
+    wordList yTypes
+    (
+        mesh().boundary().size(),
+        zeroGradientFvPatchField<Type>::typeName
+    );
+
+    forAllConstIter(labelHashSet, patchIDs, iter)
+    {
+        yTypes[iter.key()] = fixedValueFvPatchField<Type>::typeName;
+    }
+
+    return yTypes;
+}
+
+
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Constructors  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 Foam::wallDist::wallDist(const fvMesh& mesh)
@@ -57,7 +79,8 @@ Foam::wallDist::wallDist(const fvMesh& mesh)
             mesh
         ),
         mesh,
-        dimensionedScalar("yWall", dimLength, GREAT)
+        dimensionedScalar("yWall", dimLength, GREAT),
+        patchTypes<scalar>(pdm_->patchIDs())
     ),
     n_(NULL)
 {
@@ -74,18 +97,18 @@ Foam::wallDist::wallDist(const fvMesh& mesh)
                 mesh
             ),
             mesh,
-            dimensionedVector("nWall", dimless, vector::zero)
+            dimensionedVector("nWall", dimless, vector::zero),
+            patchTypes<vector>(pdm_->patchIDs())
         )
     );
 
+    const labelHashSet& patchIDs = pdm_->patchIDs();
     const fvPatchList& patches = mesh.boundary();
 
-    forAll(patches, patchi)
+    forAllConstIter(labelHashSet, patchIDs, iter)
     {
-        if (isA<wallFvPatch>(patches[patchi]))
-        {
-            n_().boundaryField()[patchi] = patches[patchi].nf();
-        }
+        label patchi = iter.key();
+        n_().boundaryField()[patchi] == patches[patchi].nf();
     }
 
     movePoints();
diff --git a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/wallDist/wallDist.H b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/wallDist/wallDist.H
index 683a8c095..60dfc8044 100644
--- a/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/wallDist/wallDist.H
+++ b/src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/wallDist/wallDist/wallDist.H
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ class wallDist
 
     // Private Member Functions
 
+        //- Return the patch types for y and n
+        //  These are fixedValue for the set provided otherwise zero-gradient
+        template<class Type>
+        wordList patchTypes(const labelHashSet& patchIDs) const;
+
         //- Disallow default bitwise copy construct
         wallDist(const wallDist&);