diff --git a/Geo/MElementOctree.cpp b/Geo/MElementOctree.cpp
index 16161017074e2818159e28819692d9feefa048c1..d212da204dd3cf077ab24a16d26cea866192a507 100644
--- a/Geo/MElementOctree.cpp
+++ b/Geo/MElementOctree.cpp
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ MElementOctree::~MElementOctree()
   Octree_Delete(_octree);
 }
 
-MElement *MElementOctree::find(double x, double y, double z, int dim)
+MElement *MElementOctree::find(double x, double y, double z, int dim, bool strict)
 {
   double P[3] = {x, y, z};
   MElement *e = (MElement*)Octree_Search(P, _octree);
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ MElement *MElementOctree::find(double x, double y, double z, int dim)
       }
     }
   }
-  if (!e || (dim != -1 && e->getDim() != dim)){
+  if (!strict) {
     double initialTol = MElement::getTolerance();
     double tol = initialTol;
     while (tol < 1){
@@ -149,6 +149,5 @@ MElement *MElementOctree::find(double x, double y, double z, int dim)
     }
     MElement::setTolerance(initialTol);
     Msg::Warning("Point %g %g %g not found",x,y,z);
-  }
-  return NULL;
+  } return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/Geo/MElementOctree.h b/Geo/MElementOctree.h
index dc23f530b3dd5af7101236cba73262823b855626..42e08aa0e2bc07d519189e29aaa4f7da1bd3ab37 100644
--- a/Geo/MElementOctree.h
+++ b/Geo/MElementOctree.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class MElementOctree{
   MElementOctree(GModel *);
   MElementOctree(std::vector<MElement*> &);
   ~MElementOctree();
-  MElement *find(double x, double y, double z, int dim = -1);
+  MElement *find(double x, double y, double z, int dim = -1, bool strict = false);
   Octree *getInternalOctree(){ return _octree; }
 };