diff --git a/ALE_Finite_Strain_Plasticity/src/NewtonStepSystem.h b/ALE_Finite_Strain_Plasticity/src/NewtonStepSystem.h
index 142de36b..e19fb3a2 100644
--- a/ALE_Finite_Strain_Plasticity/src/NewtonStepSystem.h
+++ b/ALE_Finite_Strain_Plasticity/src/NewtonStepSystem.h
@@ -41,22 +41,33 @@ namespace PlasticityLab {
         dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
         mpi_communicator);
       current_increment.reinit(
+        dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
         dof_system.locally_relevant_dofs,
         mpi_communicator);
       Newton_step_residual.reinit(
         dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
         mpi_communicator);
       previous_deformation.reinit(
+        dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
         dof_system.locally_relevant_dofs,
         mpi_communicator);
 
       previous_time_derivative.reinit(
+        dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
         dof_system.locally_relevant_dofs,
         mpi_communicator);
       previous_second_time_derivative.reinit(
+        dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
         dof_system.locally_relevant_dofs,
         mpi_communicator);
 
+      _locally_owned_current_increment.reinit(
+        dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
+        mpi_communicator);
+      _locally_owned_previous_deformation.reinit(
+        dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
+        mpi_communicator);
+
       _locally_owned_previous_time_derivative.reinit(
         dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
         mpi_communicator);
@@ -110,7 +121,19 @@ namespace PlasticityLab {
         previous_second_time_derivative = _locally_owned_previous_second_time_derivative;
 
       }
-      previous_deformation += current_increment;
+      
+      // Update the deformation vector with the computed
+      // increment. Because 'previous_deformation' is a vector with
+      // ghost entries, it is a read-only vector and we cannot write
+      // into it -- so we have to create a temporary vector first and
+      // only copy it at the end:
+      {
+        _locally_owned_previous_deformation = previous_deformation;
+        _locally_owned_current_increment    = current_increment;
+        _locally_owned_previous_deformation += _locally_owned_current_increment;
+        previous_deformation = _locally_owned_previous_deformation;
+      }
+
       if(reset_increment) {
         current_increment = 0;
       }
@@ -125,9 +148,10 @@ namespace PlasticityLab {
     TrilinosWrappers::MPI::Vector   previous_time_derivative;
     TrilinosWrappers::MPI::Vector   previous_second_time_derivative;
 
+    TrilinosWrappers::MPI::Vector   _locally_owned_previous_deformation;
+    TrilinosWrappers::MPI::Vector   _locally_owned_current_increment;
     TrilinosWrappers::MPI::Vector   _locally_owned_previous_time_derivative;
     TrilinosWrappers::MPI::Vector   _locally_owned_previous_second_time_derivative;
-
   };
 
 } /* namespace PlasticityLab */
diff --git a/ALE_Finite_Strain_Plasticity/src/PlasticityLabProgDrivers.cpp b/ALE_Finite_Strain_Plasticity/src/PlasticityLabProgDrivers.cpp
index a332df16..e8f9ac10 100644
--- a/ALE_Finite_Strain_Plasticity/src/PlasticityLabProgDrivers.cpp
+++ b/ALE_Finite_Strain_Plasticity/src/PlasticityLabProgDrivers.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,19 @@ namespace PlasticityLab {
     therm_lbc_system.apply_constraints(therm_dof_system);
     therm_nonlinear_system.setup(therm_dof_system);
 
-    therm_nonlinear_system.previous_deformation = ambient_temperature;
+    // Initialize the temperature solution vector. Because we are
+    // initializing with a possibly non-zero value, we can't just
+    // assign that value to the vector in a parallel setting because
+    // the solution vector has ghost entries and so is
+    // read-only. Rather, we create a completely distributed vector,
+    // assign the value to it, and then copy that into the solution
+    // vector.
+    {
+      TrilinosWrappers::MPI::Vector tmp (therm_dof_system.locally_owned_dofs,
+                                         mpi_communicator);
+      tmp = ambient_temperature;
+      therm_nonlinear_system.previous_deformation = tmp;
+    }
 
     mixed_fe_dof_system.setup_dof_system(mixed_var_fe);