diff --git a/src/ref_oct.c b/src/ref_oct.c
index cfabf1dac..5237eb92e 100644
--- a/src/ref_oct.c
+++ b/src/ref_oct.c
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@ REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_gradation(REF_OCT ref_oct) {
 }
 
 REF_FCN static REF_STATUS ref_oct_unique_nodes_node(REF_OCT ref_oct,
-                                                    REF_INT node,
-                                                    REF_DBL *bbox) {
+                                                    REF_INT node, REF_DBL *bbox,
+                                                    REF_NODE ref_node) {
   if (ref_oct_leaf_node(ref_oct, node)) {
     REF_INT corner;
     for (corner = 0; corner < 8; corner++) {
@@ -246,8 +246,14 @@ REF_FCN static REF_STATUS ref_oct_unique_nodes_node(REF_OCT ref_oct,
       RSS(ref_oct_bbox_corner(bbox, corner, xyz), "corner xyz");
       insert_node = REF_EMPTY;
       if (REF_EMPTY == ref_oct_c2n(ref_oct, corner, node)) {
+        REF_INT new_node;
         insert_node = ref_oct_nnode(ref_oct);
         ref_oct_nnode(ref_oct)++;
+        RSS(ref_node_add(ref_node, insert_node, &new_node), "add node");
+        REIS(insert_node, new_node, "expects to match");
+        ref_node_xyz(ref_node, 0, new_node) = xyz[0];
+        ref_node_xyz(ref_node, 1, new_node) = xyz[1];
+        ref_node_xyz(ref_node, 2, new_node) = xyz[2];
       } else {
         insert_node = ref_oct_c2n(ref_oct, corner, node);
       }
@@ -258,17 +264,22 @@ REF_FCN static REF_STATUS ref_oct_unique_nodes_node(REF_OCT ref_oct,
     for (child_index = 0; child_index < 8; child_index++) {
       REF_DBL box[6];
       RSS(ref_oct_child_bbox(bbox, child_index, box), "bbox");
-      RSS(ref_oct_unique_nodes_node(
-              ref_oct, ref_oct_child(ref_oct, child_index, node), box),
+      RSS(ref_oct_unique_nodes_node(ref_oct,
+                                    ref_oct_child(ref_oct, child_index, node),
+                                    box, ref_node),
           "recurse");
     }
   }
   return REF_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_unique_nodes(REF_OCT ref_oct) {
-  REIS(0, ref_oct_nnode(ref_oct), "expected zero nodes");
-  RSS(ref_oct_unique_nodes_node(ref_oct, 0, ref_oct->bbox), "descend");
+REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_unique_nodes(REF_OCT ref_oct, REF_NODE ref_node) {
+  REIS(0, ref_oct_nnode(ref_oct), "expected zero oct nodes");
+  REIS(0, ref_node_n(ref_node), "expected zero grid nodes");
+  RSS(ref_oct_unique_nodes_node(ref_oct, 0, ref_oct->bbox, ref_node),
+      "descend");
+  RSS(ref_node_initialize_n_global(ref_node, ref_oct_nnode(ref_oct)),
+      "init glob");
   return REF_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ref_oct.h b/src/ref_oct.h
index 29efe9110..17cc71b55 100644
--- a/src/ref_oct.h
+++ b/src/ref_oct.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ typedef struct REF_OCT_STRUCT REF_OCT_STRUCT;
 typedef REF_OCT_STRUCT *REF_OCT;
 END_C_DECLORATION
 
+#include "ref_node.h"
+
 BEGIN_C_DECLORATION
 struct REF_OCT_STRUCT {
   REF_DBL bbox[6];
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_split_at(REF_OCT ref_oct, REF_DBL *xyz, REF_DBL h);
 REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_split_touching(REF_OCT ref_oct, REF_DBL *bbox,
                                           REF_DBL h);
 REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_gradation(REF_OCT ref_oct);
-REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_unique_nodes(REF_OCT ref_oct);
+REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_unique_nodes(REF_OCT ref_oct, REF_NODE ref_node);
 REF_FCN REF_STATUS ref_oct_set_node_at(REF_OCT ref_oct, REF_INT insert_node,
                                        REF_DBL *xyz);
 
diff --git a/src/ref_oct_test.c b/src/ref_oct_test.c
index c0e0fc2a3..2034a3830 100644
--- a/src/ref_oct_test.c
+++ b/src/ref_oct_test.c
@@ -196,20 +196,30 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   }
 
   { /* root unique nodes */
+    REF_NODE ref_node;
     REF_OCT ref_oct;
+    RSS(ref_node_create(&ref_node, ref_mpi), "make node");
     RSS(ref_oct_create(&ref_oct), "make oct");
-    RSS(ref_oct_unique_nodes(ref_oct), "make nodes");
+    RSS(ref_oct_unique_nodes(ref_oct, ref_node), "make nodes");
     REIS(8, ref_oct_nnode(ref_oct), "expects 8 node hex");
+    REIS(8, ref_node_n(ref_node), "ref_node n");
+    REIS(8, ref_node_n_global(ref_node), "ref_node global n");
     RSS(ref_oct_free(ref_oct), "free oct");
+    RSS(ref_node_free(ref_node), "free node");
   }
 
   { /* one split unique nodes */
+    REF_NODE ref_node;
     REF_OCT ref_oct;
+    RSS(ref_node_create(&ref_node, ref_mpi), "make node");
     RSS(ref_oct_create(&ref_oct), "make oct");
     RSS(ref_oct_split(ref_oct, 0), "split root");
-    RSS(ref_oct_unique_nodes(ref_oct), "make nodes");
+    RSS(ref_oct_unique_nodes(ref_oct, ref_node), "make nodes");
     REIS(27, ref_oct_nnode(ref_oct), "expects 8 node hex");
+    REIS(27, ref_node_n(ref_node), "ref_node n");
+    REIS(27, ref_node_n_global(ref_node), "ref_node global n");
     RSS(ref_oct_free(ref_oct), "free oct");
+    RSS(ref_node_free(ref_node), "free node");
   }
 
   { /* contains root */