diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp b/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
index 28d1a71e..5c174b30 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
@@ -406,8 +406,8 @@ namespace netgen
     ELEMENT_TYPE typ;
     /// number of points
     int8_t np;
+    bool refflag;  // marked for refinement
     bool badel:1;
-    bool refflag:1;  // marked for refinement
     bool strongrefflag:1;
     bool deleted:1;  // element is deleted
 
@@ -431,7 +431,8 @@ namespace netgen
       return std::map<string, int>({
           { "pnum", offsetof(Element2d, pnum)},
           { "index", offsetof(Element2d, index) },
-          { "np", offsetof(Element2d, np) }
+          { "np", offsetof(Element2d, np) },
+          { "refine", offsetof(Element2d, refflag) }
         });
     }
 
@@ -736,13 +737,13 @@ namespace netgen
 
     class flagstruct {
     public:
+      bool refflag;     // mark element for refinement
       bool marked:1;  // marked for refinement
       bool badel:1;   // angles worse then limit
       bool reverse:1; // for refinement a la Bey
       bool illegal:1; // illegal, will be split or swapped
       bool illegal_valid:1; // is illegal-flag valid ?
       bool badness_valid:1; // is badness valid ?
-      bool refflag:1;     // mark element for refinement
       bool strongrefflag:1;
       bool deleted:1;   // element is deleted, will be removed from array
       bool fixed:1;     // don't change element in optimization
@@ -757,7 +758,8 @@ namespace netgen
       return std::map<string, int>({
           { "pnum", offsetof(Element, pnum)},
           { "index", offsetof(Element, index) },
-          { "np", offsetof(Element, np) }
+          { "np", offsetof(Element, np) },
+          { "refine", offsetof(Element, flags.refflag) }          
         });
     }