diff --git a/src/mechanics_driver.cpp b/src/mechanics_driver.cpp
index 04735b8..47e06f8 100644
--- a/src/mechanics_driver.cpp
+++ b/src/mechanics_driver.cpp
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       if (mesh_order > toml_opt.order) {
          toml_opt.order = mesh_order;
       }
-      if (mesh_order < toml_opt.order) {
+      if (mesh_order <= toml_opt.order) {
          if (myid == 0) {
             printf("Increasing the order of the mesh to %d\n", toml_opt.order);
          }
@@ -601,6 +601,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
    q_vonMises.UseDevice(true);
    matProps.UseDevice(true);
 
+   {
+      // fix me: should the mesh nodes be on the device?
+      GridFunction *nodes = &x_cur; // set a nodes grid function to global current configuration
+      int owns_nodes = 0;
+      pmesh->SwapNodes(nodes, owns_nodes); // pmesh has current configuration nodes
+      nodes = NULL;
+   }
+
    SystemDriver oper(fe_space,
                      toml_opt, matVars0,
                      matVars1, sigma0, sigma1, matGrd,
@@ -824,13 +832,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
    oper.SetTime(t);
 
    bool last_step = false;
-   {
-      // fix me: should the mesh nodes be on the device?
-      GridFunction *nodes = &x_cur; // set a nodes grid function to global current configuration
-      int owns_nodes = 0;
-      pmesh->SwapNodes(nodes, owns_nodes); // pmesh has current configuration nodes
-      nodes = NULL;
-   }
 
    double dt_real;
 
diff --git a/src/mechanics_operator.cpp b/src/mechanics_operator.cpp
index fa0a3a3..46ea230 100644
--- a/src/mechanics_operator.cpp
+++ b/src/mechanics_operator.cpp
@@ -214,14 +214,14 @@ NonlinearMechOperator::NonlinearMechOperator(ParFiniteElementSpace &fes,
       diag.SetSize(fe_space.GetTrueVSize(), Device::GetMemoryType());
       diag.UseDevice(true);
       diag = 1.0;
-      prec_oper = new MechOperatorJacobiSmoother(diag, Hform->GetEssentialTrueDofs());
+      prec_oper = new MechOperatorJacobiSmoother(diag, this->GetEssentialTrueDofs());
    }
    else if (assembly == Assembly::EA) {
       Hform->SetAssemblyLevel(mfem::AssemblyLevel::ELEMENT, ElementDofOrdering::NATIVE);
       diag.SetSize(fe_space.GetTrueVSize(), Device::GetMemoryType());
       diag.UseDevice(true);
       diag = 1.0;
-      prec_oper = new MechOperatorJacobiSmoother(diag, Hform->GetEssentialTrueDofs());
+      prec_oper = new MechOperatorJacobiSmoother(diag, this->GetEssentialTrueDofs());
    }
 
    // So, we're going to originally support non tensor-product type elements originally.