diff --git a/src/coreComponents/mainInterface/ProblemManager.cpp b/src/coreComponents/mainInterface/ProblemManager.cpp
index ed85797f2c2..0144b8747cb 100644
--- a/src/coreComponents/mainInterface/ProblemManager.cpp
+++ b/src/coreComponents/mainInterface/ProblemManager.cpp
@@ -868,13 +868,24 @@ void ProblemManager::generateMeshLevel( MeshLevel & meshLevel,
   {
     subRegion.setupRelatedObjectsInRelations( meshLevel );
     // TODO calling calculateElementGeometricQuantities for `FaceElementSubRegion` here is not very accurate:
-    // `FaceElementSubRegion` has no node and therefore needs the nodes positions from the neighbor elements
-    // in order to compute the geometric quantities.
-    // And this point of the process, the ghosting has not been done and some elements of the `FaceElementSubRegion`
-    // can have no neighbor. We still call it only to compute element centers to be used for well perforation computations.
-    if( isBaseMeshLevel ) // && !dynamicCast< FaceElementSubRegion * >( &subRegion ) )
+    // `FaceElementSubRegion` has no node and therefore needs the nodes positions from neighboring elements
+    // to compute geometric quantities.
+    // At this stage, ghosting has not yet been performed and some `FaceElementSubRegion` elements
+    // may not have neighbors.
+    if( isBaseMeshLevel )
     {
-      subRegion.calculateElementGeometricQuantities( nodeManager, faceManager );
+      FaceElementSubRegion * fractureSubRegion = dynamic_cast< FaceElementSubRegion * >( &subRegion );
+      if( fractureSubRegion != nullptr )
+      {
+        // Fracture case: only calculate element centers (for well perforation)
+        // We CAN'T calculate areas/volumes yet (requires face mapping from ghosting)
+        fractureSubRegion->calculateElementCentersOnly( nodeManager );
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        // Regular cell elements: compute full geometry
+        subRegion.calculateElementGeometricQuantities( nodeManager, faceManager );
+      }
     }
     subRegion.setMaxGlobalIndex();
   } );
diff --git a/src/coreComponents/mesh/FaceElementSubRegion.cpp b/src/coreComponents/mesh/FaceElementSubRegion.cpp
index ca1a0a79970..76713c50cbf 100644
--- a/src/coreComponents/mesh/FaceElementSubRegion.cpp
+++ b/src/coreComponents/mesh/FaceElementSubRegion.cpp
@@ -240,8 +240,12 @@ void FaceElementSubRegion::calculateElementGeometricQuantities( NodeManager cons
     calculateSingleElementGeometricQuantities( k, faceArea );
   } );
 
-  arrayView2d< real64 const, nodes::REFERENCE_POSITION_USD > const & X = nodeManager.referencePosition();
-  calculateElementCenters( X );
+  calculateElementCentersOnly( nodeManager );
+}
+
+void FaceElementSubRegion::calculateElementCentersOnly( NodeManager const & nodeManager )
+{
+  calculateElementCenters( nodeManager.referencePosition() );
 }
 
 ElementType FaceElementSubRegion::getElementType( localIndex ei ) const
diff --git a/src/coreComponents/mesh/FaceElementSubRegion.hpp b/src/coreComponents/mesh/FaceElementSubRegion.hpp
index 85693bb3bb1..5455a32e979 100644
--- a/src/coreComponents/mesh/FaceElementSubRegion.hpp
+++ b/src/coreComponents/mesh/FaceElementSubRegion.hpp
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ class FaceElementSubRegion : public SurfaceElementSubRegion
   void calculateSingleElementGeometricQuantities( localIndex const k,
                                                   arrayView1d< real64 const > const & faceArea );
 
+  /**
+   * @brief Computes centroids for all face elements from node positions.
+   * @param[in] nodeManager Provides node reference positions.
+   */
+  void calculateElementCentersOnly( NodeManager const & nodeManager );
+
   virtual localIndex packUpDownMapsSize( arrayView1d< localIndex const > const & packList ) const override;
 
   virtual localIndex packUpDownMaps( buffer_unit_type * & buffer,