diff --git a/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableData.h b/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableData.h
index 2c41cf98440d..42fcce9d79c4 100644
--- a/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableData.h
+++ b/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableData.h
@@ -340,13 +340,13 @@ class MooseVariableData
 
   const FieldVariableValue & uDotDotOld() const;
 
-  const VariableValue & duDotDu() const
+  const FieldVariableValue & duDotDu() const
   {
     _need_du_dot_du = true;
     return _du_dot_du;
   }
 
-  const VariableValue & duDotDotDu() const
+  const FieldVariableValue & duDotDotDu() const
   {
     _need_du_dotdot_du = true;
     return _du_dotdot_du;
@@ -447,8 +447,8 @@ class MooseVariableData
   const DoFValue & dofValuesDotOld() const;
   const DoFValue & dofValuesDotDot() const;
   const DoFValue & dofValuesDotDotOld() const;
-  const MooseArray<Number> & dofValuesDuDotDu() const;
-  const MooseArray<Number> & dofValuesDuDotDotDu() const;
+  const DoFValue & dofValuesDuDotDu() const;
+  const DoFValue & dofValuesDuDotDotDu() const;
 
   /**
    * Return the AD dof values
@@ -649,9 +649,9 @@ class MooseVariableData
   /// nodal values of u_dotdot_old
   DoFValue _dof_values_dotdot_old;
   /// nodal values of derivative of u_dot wrt u
-  MooseArray<Number> _dof_du_dot_du;
+  DoFValue _dof_du_dot_du;
   /// nodal values of derivative of u_dotdot wrt u
-  MooseArray<Number> _dof_du_dotdot_du;
+  DoFValue _dof_du_dotdot_du;
 
   /// u
   FieldVariableValue _u;
@@ -703,10 +703,10 @@ class MooseVariableData
   FieldVariableValue _u_dotdot_old, _u_dotdot_old_bak;
 
   /// derivative of u_dot wrt u
-  VariableValue _du_dot_du;
+  FieldVariableValue _du_dot_du;
 
   /// derivative of u_dotdot wrt u
-  VariableValue _du_dotdot_du, _du_dotdot_du_bak;
+  FieldVariableValue _du_dotdot_du, _du_dotdot_du_bak;
 
   /// The current qrule. This has to be a reference because the current qrule will be constantly
   /// changing. If we initialized this to point to one qrule, then in the next calculation we would
diff --git a/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableFE.h b/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableFE.h
index ddf56021624b..d57065184c24 100644
--- a/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableFE.h
+++ b/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableFE.h
@@ -354,8 +354,8 @@ class MooseVariableFE : public MooseVariableFEBase
   const FieldVariableValue & uDotDot() const { return _element_data->uDotDot(); }
   const FieldVariableValue & uDotOld() const { return _element_data->uDotOld(); }
   const FieldVariableValue & uDotDotOld() const { return _element_data->uDotDotOld(); }
-  const VariableValue & duDotDu() const { return _element_data->duDotDu(); }
-  const VariableValue & duDotDotDu() const { return _element_data->duDotDotDu(); }
+  const FieldVariableValue & duDotDu() const { return _element_data->duDotDu(); }
+  const FieldVariableValue & duDotDotDu() const { return _element_data->duDotDotDu(); }
 
   /// neighbor solutions
   const FieldVariableValue & slnNeighbor() const { return _neighbor_data->sln(Moose::Current); }
@@ -428,8 +428,8 @@ class MooseVariableFE : public MooseVariableFEBase
   const FieldVariableValue & uDotDotNeighbor() const { return _neighbor_data->uDotDot(); }
   const FieldVariableValue & uDotOldNeighbor() const { return _neighbor_data->uDotOld(); }
   const FieldVariableValue & uDotDotOldNeighbor() const { return _neighbor_data->uDotDotOld(); }
-  const VariableValue & duDotDuNeighbor() const { return _neighbor_data->duDotDu(); }
-  const VariableValue & duDotDotDuNeighbor() const { return _neighbor_data->duDotDotDu(); }
+  const FieldVariableValue & duDotDuNeighbor() const { return _neighbor_data->duDotDu(); }
+  const FieldVariableValue & duDotDotDuNeighbor() const { return _neighbor_data->duDotDotDu(); }
 
   /// lower-d element solution
   template <ComputeStage compute_stage>
@@ -527,10 +527,10 @@ class MooseVariableFE : public MooseVariableFEBase
   const DoFValue & dofValuesDotDotNeighbor();
   const DoFValue & dofValuesDotDotOld();
   const DoFValue & dofValuesDotDotOldNeighbor();
-  const MooseArray<Number> & dofValuesDuDotDu();
-  const MooseArray<Number> & dofValuesDuDotDuNeighbor();
-  const MooseArray<Number> & dofValuesDuDotDotDu();
-  const MooseArray<Number> & dofValuesDuDotDotDuNeighbor();
+  const DoFValue & dofValuesDuDotDu();
+  const DoFValue & dofValuesDuDotDuNeighbor();
+  const DoFValue & dofValuesDuDotDotDu();
+  const DoFValue & dofValuesDuDotDotDuNeighbor();
 
   /**
    * Return the AD dof values
diff --git a/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableInterface.h b/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableInterface.h
index adac63f59ebe..903a1a4c644f 100644
--- a/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableInterface.h
+++ b/framework/include/variables/MooseVariableInterface.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class MooseVariableInterface
    *
    * @return The reference to be stored off and used later.
    */
-  virtual const VariableValue & dotDu();
+  virtual const typename OutputTools<T>::VariableValue & dotDu();
 
   /**
    * The derivative of the second time derivative of the variable this object is operating on
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class MooseVariableInterface
    *
    * @return The reference to be stored off and used later.
    */
-  virtual const VariableValue & dotDotDu();
+  virtual const typename OutputTools<T>::VariableValue & dotDotDu();
 
   /**
    * The gradient of the variable this object is operating on.
@@ -202,4 +202,3 @@ class MooseVariableInterface
 protected:
   Assembly * _mvi_assembly;
 };
-
diff --git a/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableData.C b/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableData.C
index 45e5ea65aaed..a2888ce7898d 100644
--- a/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableData.C
+++ b/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableData.C
@@ -903,10 +903,10 @@ MooseVariableData<RealEigenVector>::computeValues()
         _u_dotdot_old[i].setZero(_count);
 
       if (_need_du_dot_du)
-        _du_dot_du[i] = 0;
+        _du_dot_du[i].setZero(_count);
 
       if (_need_du_dotdot_du)
-        _du_dotdot_du[i] = 0;
+        _du_dotdot_du[i].setZero(_count);
 
       if (_need_grad_dot)
         _grad_u_dot[i].setZero(_count, LIBMESH_DIM);
@@ -1789,7 +1789,7 @@ MooseVariableData<OutputType>::dofValuesDotDotOld() const
 }
 
 template <typename OutputType>
-const MooseArray<Number> &
+const typename MooseVariableData<OutputType>::DoFValue &
 MooseVariableData<OutputType>::dofValuesDuDotDu() const
 {
   _need_dof_du_dot_du = true;
@@ -1797,7 +1797,7 @@ MooseVariableData<OutputType>::dofValuesDuDotDu() const
 }
 
 template <typename OutputType>
-const MooseArray<Number> &
+const typename MooseVariableData<OutputType>::DoFValue &
 MooseVariableData<OutputType>::dofValuesDuDotDotDu() const
 {
   _need_dof_du_dotdot_du = true;
diff --git a/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableFE.C b/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableFE.C
index 7eaf61afc97e..f1da987765f7 100644
--- a/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableFE.C
+++ b/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableFE.C
@@ -346,28 +346,28 @@ MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::dofValuesDotDotOldNeighbor()
 }
 
 template <typename OutputType>
-const MooseArray<Number> &
+const typename MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::DoFValue &
 MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::dofValuesDuDotDu()
 {
   return _element_data->dofValuesDuDotDu();
 }
 
 template <typename OutputType>
-const MooseArray<Number> &
+const typename MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::DoFValue &
 MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::dofValuesDuDotDotDu()
 {
   return _element_data->dofValuesDuDotDotDu();
 }
 
 template <typename OutputType>
-const MooseArray<Number> &
+const typename MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::DoFValue &
 MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::dofValuesDuDotDuNeighbor()
 {
   return _neighbor_data->dofValuesDuDotDu();
 }
 
 template <typename OutputType>
-const MooseArray<Number> &
+const typename MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::DoFValue &
 MooseVariableFE<OutputType>::dofValuesDuDotDotDuNeighbor()
 {
   return _neighbor_data->dofValuesDuDotDotDu();
diff --git a/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableInterface.C b/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableInterface.C
index 83e56846da9e..10347331c041 100644
--- a/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableInterface.C
+++ b/framework/src/variables/MooseVariableInterface.C
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ MooseVariableInterface<RealVectorValue>::dotDotOld()
 }
 
 template <typename T>
-const VariableValue &
+const typename OutputTools<T>::VariableValue &
 MooseVariableInterface<T>::dotDu()
 {
   if (_nodal)
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ MooseVariableInterface<T>::dotDu()
 }
 
 template <typename T>
-const VariableValue &
+const typename OutputTools<T>::VariableValue &
 MooseVariableInterface<T>::dotDotDu()
 {
   if (_nodal)
@@ -232,6 +232,26 @@ MooseVariableInterface<T>::dotDotDu()
     return _variable->duDotDotDu();
 }
 
+template <>
+const VectorVariableValue &
+MooseVariableInterface<RealVectorValue>::dotDu()
+{
+  if (_nodal)
+    mooseError("Dofs are scalars while vector variables have vector values. Mismatch");
+  else
+    return _variable->duDotDu();
+}
+
+template <>
+const VectorVariableValue &
+MooseVariableInterface<RealVectorValue>::dotDotDu()
+{
+  if (_nodal)
+    mooseError("Dofs are scalars while vector variables have vector values. Mismatch");
+  else
+    return _variable->duDotDotDu();
+}
+
 template <typename T>
 const typename OutputTools<T>::VariableGradient &
 MooseVariableInterface<T>::gradient()