diff --git a/libsrc/include/nginterface_v2.hpp b/libsrc/include/nginterface_v2.hpp
index 6c70a9ef..d06c7de9 100644
--- a/libsrc/include/nginterface_v2.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/include/nginterface_v2.hpp
@@ -389,6 +389,8 @@ namespace netgen
     // also added from nginterface.h, still 1-based, need redesign
     void HPRefinement (int levels, double parameter = 0.125,
                        bool setorders = true,bool ref_level = false);
+    void SplitAlefeld ();
+    
     size_t GetNP() const;
     int GetSurfaceElementSurfaceNumber (size_t ei) const;
     int GetSurfaceElementFDNumber (size_t ei) const;
diff --git a/libsrc/interface/nginterface.cpp b/libsrc/interface/nginterface.cpp
index 4da0eed9..c76a94d4 100644
--- a/libsrc/interface/nginterface.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/interface/nginterface.cpp
@@ -1122,7 +1122,7 @@ void Ng_HPRefinement (int levels, double parameter, bool setorders,
 {
   NgLock meshlock (mesh->MajorMutex(), true);
   Refinement & ref = const_cast<Refinement&> (mesh->GetGeometry()->GetRefinement());
-  HPRefinement (*mesh, &ref, levels, parameter, setorders, ref_level);
+  HPRefinement (*mesh, &ref, SPLIT_HP, levels, parameter, setorders, ref_level);
   /*
     Refinement * ref;
 
diff --git a/libsrc/interface/nginterface_v2.cpp b/libsrc/interface/nginterface_v2.cpp
index a953dce0..c2f295bb 100644
--- a/libsrc/interface/nginterface_v2.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/interface/nginterface_v2.cpp
@@ -1226,8 +1226,16 @@ namespace netgen
   {
     NgLock meshlock (mesh->MajorMutex(), true);
     Refinement & ref = const_cast<Refinement&> (mesh->GetGeometry()->GetRefinement());
-    ::netgen::HPRefinement (*mesh, &ref, levels, parameter, setorders, ref_level);
+    ::netgen::HPRefinement (*mesh, &ref, SPLIT_HP, levels, parameter, setorders, ref_level);
   }
+
+  void Ngx_Mesh::SplitAlefeld ()
+  {
+    NgLock meshlock (mesh->MajorMutex(), true);
+    Refinement & ref = const_cast<Refinement&> (mesh->GetGeometry()->GetRefinement());
+    ::netgen::HPRefinement (*mesh, &ref, SPLIT_ALEFELD, 1, 0.5, true, true);
+  }
+
   
 int Ngx_Mesh::GetElementOrder (int enr) const
 {
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/hprefinement.cpp b/libsrc/meshing/hprefinement.cpp
index a3b38f1e..583ed5cb 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/hprefinement.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/hprefinement.cpp
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ namespace netgen
 		       NgBitArray & cornerpoint, NgBitArray & edgepoint, INDEX_3_HASHTABLE<int> & faces, INDEX_2_HASHTABLE<int> & face_edges, 
 			INDEX_2_HASHTABLE<int> & surf_edges, NgArray<int, PointIndex::BASE> & facepoint, int & levels, int & act_ref); 
 
-  bool ClassifyHPElements (Mesh & mesh, NgArray<HPRefElement> & elements, int & act_ref, int & levels);
+  bool ClassifyHPElements (Mesh & mesh, NgArray<HPRefElement> & elements, SplittingType split, int & act_ref, int & levels);
   
   
   void  InitHPElements(Mesh & mesh, NgArray<HPRefElement> & elements) 
@@ -1309,7 +1309,8 @@ namespace netgen
 
   /* ***************************** HPRefinement ********************************** */
 
-  void HPRefinement (Mesh & mesh, Refinement * ref, int levels, double fac1, bool setorders, bool reflevels)
+  void HPRefinement (Mesh & mesh, Refinement * ref, SplittingType split,
+                     int levels, double fac1, bool setorders, bool reflevels)
   {
     PrintMessage (1, "HP Refinement called, levels = ", levels);
 
@@ -1336,12 +1337,12 @@ namespace netgen
     nplevel.Append (mesh.GetNP());
     
     int act_ref=1;
-    bool sing = ClassifyHPElements (mesh,hpelements, act_ref, levels); 
+    bool sing = ClassifyHPElements (mesh,hpelements, split, act_ref, levels); 
 
     sing = true; // iterate at least once
     while(sing) 
       {
-	PrintMessage(0, " Start new hp-refinement: step ", act_ref);
+	PrintMessage(3, " Start new hp-refinement: step ", act_ref);
 		
 	DoRefinement (mesh, hpelements, ref, fac1); 
 	DoRefineDummies (mesh, hpelements, ref);
@@ -1445,7 +1446,7 @@ namespace netgen
 
 	act_ref++; 
 	
-	sing = ClassifyHPElements(mesh,hpelements, act_ref, levels); 
+	sing = ClassifyHPElements(mesh,hpelements, split, act_ref, levels); 
       }
 
     PrintMessage(3, " HP-Refinement done with ", --act_ref, " refinement steps.");
@@ -1824,9 +1825,8 @@ bool CheckSingularities(Mesh & mesh, INDEX_2_HASHTABLE<int> & edges, INDEX_2_HAS
 
 
 
-  bool ClassifyHPElements (Mesh & mesh, NgArray<HPRefElement> & elements, int & act_ref, int & levels)
+  bool ClassifyHPElements (Mesh & mesh, NgArray<HPRefElement> & elements, SplittingType split, int & act_ref, int & levels)
   {
-    cout << "in classify" << endl;
     INDEX_2_HASHTABLE<int> edges(mesh.GetNSeg()+1);
     NgBitArray edgepoint(mesh.GetNP());
     INDEX_2_HASHTABLE<int> edgepoint_dom(mesh.GetNSeg()+1);
@@ -1846,8 +1846,8 @@ bool CheckSingularities(Mesh & mesh, INDEX_2_HASHTABLE<int> & edges, INDEX_2_HAS
 			      cornerpoint, edgepoint, faces, face_edges, 
 			      surf_edges, facepoint, levels, act_ref); 
 
-    if (act_ref == 1)
-      sing = true;   // Joachim
+    if (act_ref == 1 && split == SPLIT_ALEFELD)
+      sing = true;   
     if(sing==0) return(sing); 
 
     int cnt_undef = 0, cnt_nonimplement = 0;
@@ -1894,13 +1894,14 @@ bool CheckSingularities(Mesh & mesh, INDEX_2_HASHTABLE<int> & edges, INDEX_2_HAS
 	  case HP_TRIG: 
 	    {
 	      int dim = mesh.GetDimension(); 
-	      const FaceDescriptor & fd = mesh.GetFaceDescriptor (hpel.GetIndex());	
-              hpel.type = HP_TRIG_ALEFELD;
-              
-	      /*
-	      hpel.type = ClassifyTrig(hpel, edges, edgepoint_dom, cornerpoint, edgepoint, 
-				       faces, face_edges, surf_edges, facepoint, dim, fd);    
-              */
+	      const FaceDescriptor & fd = mesh.GetFaceDescriptor (hpel.GetIndex());
+
+              if (split == SPLIT_HP)
+                hpel.type = ClassifyTrig(hpel, edges, edgepoint_dom, cornerpoint, edgepoint, 
+                                         faces, face_edges, surf_edges, facepoint, dim, fd);    
+              else
+                hpel.type = HP_TRIG_ALEFELD;
+
 	      dd = 2;
               continue;
 	      break; 
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/hprefinement.hpp b/libsrc/meshing/hprefinement.hpp
index c03a2ba9..3095a38b 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/hprefinement.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/hprefinement.hpp
@@ -313,9 +313,16 @@ public:
 };
 
 
-DLL_HEADER extern void HPRefinement (Mesh & mesh, Refinement * ref, int levels,
+enum SplittingType { SPLIT_HP, SPLIT_ALEFELD };
+
+DLL_HEADER extern void HPRefinement (Mesh & mesh, Refinement * ref, SplittingType split, int levels,
 			  double fac1=0.125, bool setorders=true, bool ref_level = false);
 
+inline void HPRefinement (Mesh & mesh, Refinement * ref, int levels,
+			  double fac1=0.125, bool setorders=true, bool ref_level = false)
+{
+  HPRefinement (mesh, ref, SPLIT_HP, levels, fac1, setorders, ref_level);
+}
 
 #endif