diff --git a/framework/include/reporters/MeshInfo.h b/framework/include/reporters/MeshInfo.h
index 4d78d48ed510..fbcbac004d20 100644
--- a/framework/include/reporters/MeshInfo.h
+++ b/framework/include/reporters/MeshInfo.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "GeneralReporter.h"
-class Transient;
+
 namespace libMesh
 {
 class EquationSystems;
@@ -45,11 +45,9 @@ class MeshInfo : public GeneralReporter
   unsigned int & _num_local_elem;
   unsigned int & _num_local_node;
 
-  // Used to allow for optional declare
-  unsigned int _dummy_unsigned_int = 0;
-
   // Helper to perform optional declaration based on "_items"
-  unsigned int & declareHelper(const std::string & item_name, const ReporterMode mode);
+  template <typename T>
+  T & declareHelper(const std::string & item_name, const ReporterMode mode);
 
 private:
   const libMesh::EquationSystems & _equation_systems;
@@ -57,3 +55,11 @@ class MeshInfo : public GeneralReporter
   const libMesh::System & _aux_system;
   const libMesh::MeshBase & _mesh;
 };
+
+template <typename T>
+T &
+MeshInfo::declareHelper(const std::string & item_name, const ReporterMode mode)
+{
+  return (!_items.isValid() || _items.contains(item_name)) ? declareValueByName<T>(item_name, mode)
+                                                           : declareUnusedValue<T>();
+}
diff --git a/framework/include/reporters/Reporter.h b/framework/include/reporters/Reporter.h
index 88abae97d19c..e9f969aed64b 100644
--- a/framework/include/reporters/Reporter.h
+++ b/framework/include/reporters/Reporter.h
@@ -9,9 +9,15 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+// Moose includes
 #include "OutputInterface.h"
 #include "ReporterData.h"
 #include "InputParameters.h"
+
+// System includes
+#include <type_traits>
+
+// Forward declarations
 class FEProblemBase;
 
 /**
@@ -105,7 +111,43 @@ class Reporter : public OutputInterface
   T & declareValueByName(const ReporterValueName & value_name, ReporterMode mode, Args &&... args);
   ///@}
 
+  /**
+   * Declare a unused value with type T.
+   *
+   * This is useful when you have a reporter that has optional values. In this case,
+   * you want to create references to all reporter values. However, because some values
+   * are optional, you need _something_ to fill into the reference. This helper will
+   * create a unused value. It also allows for the passing of arguments in the case
+   * that your value is not trivially default constructable (constructable by default
+   * without arguments).
+   */
+  template <typename T, typename... Args>
+  T & declareUnusedValue(Args &&... args);
+
 private:
+  /**
+   * Internal base struct for use in storing unused values.
+   *
+   * In order to store a vector of arbitrary unused values for declareUnusedValue(),
+   * we need some base object that is constructable without template arguments.
+   */
+  struct UnusedWrapperBase
+  {
+    /// Needed for polymorphism
+    virtual ~UnusedWrapperBase() {}
+  };
+
+  /**
+   * Internal struct for storing a unused value. This allows for the storage
+   * of arbitrarily typed objects in a single vector for use in
+   * declareUnusedValue().
+   */
+  template <typename T>
+  struct UnusedWrapper : UnusedWrapperBase
+  {
+    T value;
+  };
+
   /// Ref. to MooseObject params
   const InputParameters & _reporter_params;
 
@@ -117,6 +159,9 @@ class Reporter : public OutputInterface
 
   /// Data storage
   ReporterData & _reporter_data;
+
+  /// Storage for unused values declared with declareUnusedValue().
+  std::vector<std::unique_ptr<UnusedWrapperBase>> _unused_values;
 };
 
 template <typename T, template <typename> class S, typename... Args>
@@ -181,3 +226,12 @@ Reporter::declareValueByName(const ReporterValueName & value_name,
   buildOutputHideVariableList({state_name.getCombinedName()});
   return _reporter_data.declareReporterValue<T, S>(state_name, mode, args...);
 }
+
+template <typename T, typename... Args>
+T &
+Reporter::declareUnusedValue(Args &&... args)
+{
+  _unused_values.emplace_back(libmesh_make_unique<UnusedWrapper<T>>(std::forward(args)...));
+  UnusedWrapper<T> * wrapper = dynamic_cast<UnusedWrapper<T> *>(_unused_values.back().get());
+  return wrapper->value;
+}
diff --git a/framework/src/reporters/MeshInfo.C b/framework/src/reporters/MeshInfo.C
index 0a72cfc515dc..afd855ef9c8d 100644
--- a/framework/src/reporters/MeshInfo.C
+++ b/framework/src/reporters/MeshInfo.C
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 #include "MeshInfo.h"
 #include "SubProblem.h"
-#include "Transient.h"
 #include "libmesh/system.h"
 #include "libmesh/equation_systems.h"
 
@@ -34,16 +33,18 @@ MeshInfo::validParams()
 MeshInfo::MeshInfo(const InputParameters & parameters)
   : GeneralReporter(parameters),
     _items(getParam<MultiMooseEnum>("items")),
-    _num_dofs(declareHelper("num_dofs", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
-    _num_dofs_nl(declareHelper("num_dofs_nonlinear", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
-    _num_dofs_aux(declareHelper("num_dofs_auxiliary", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
-    _num_elem(declareHelper("num_elements", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
-    _num_node(declareHelper("num_nodes", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
-    _num_local_dofs(declareHelper("num_local_dofs", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
-    _num_local_dofs_nl(declareHelper("num_dofs_local_nonlinear", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
-    _num_local_dofs_aux(declareHelper("num_dofs_local_auxiliary", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
-    _num_local_elem(declareHelper("num_local_elements", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
-    _num_local_node(declareHelper("num_local_nodes", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
+    _num_dofs(declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_dofs", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
+    _num_dofs_nl(declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_dofs_nonlinear", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
+    _num_dofs_aux(declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_dofs_auxiliary", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
+    _num_elem(declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_elements", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
+    _num_node(declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_nodes", REPORTER_MODE_REPLICATED)),
+    _num_local_dofs(declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_local_dofs", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
+    _num_local_dofs_nl(
+        declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_dofs_local_nonlinear", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
+    _num_local_dofs_aux(
+        declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_dofs_local_auxiliary", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
+    _num_local_elem(declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_local_elements", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
+    _num_local_node(declareHelper<unsigned int>("num_local_nodes", REPORTER_MODE_DISTRIBUTED)),
     _equation_systems(_fe_problem.es()),
     _nonlinear_system(_fe_problem.es().get_system("nl0")),
     _aux_system(_fe_problem.es().get_system("aux0")),
@@ -65,11 +66,3 @@ MeshInfo::execute()
   _num_local_node = _mesh.n_local_nodes();
   _num_local_elem = _mesh.n_local_elem();
 }
-
-unsigned int &
-MeshInfo::declareHelper(const std::string & item_name, const ReporterMode mode)
-{
-  return (!_items.isValid() || _items.contains(item_name))
-             ? declareValueByName<unsigned int>(item_name, mode)
-             : _dummy_unsigned_int;
-}