diff --git a/src/t8_eclass/t8_eclass.h b/src/t8_eclass/t8_eclass.h
index 68a3ec2cae..82f8369015 100644
--- a/src/t8_eclass/t8_eclass.h
+++ b/src/t8_eclass/t8_eclass.h
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ typedef enum t8_eclass {
 #define T8_ECLASS_MAX_DIM 3
 /** The maximal number of children any element may have.*/
 #define T8_ECLASS_MAX_CHILDREN 10
+/** The maximal number of children a face may have.*/
+#define T8_ECLASS_MAX_FACE_CHILDREN 4
 
 /* clang-format off */
 
diff --git a/src/t8_forest/t8_forest.cxx b/src/t8_forest/t8_forest.cxx
index 7421936a1e..6dd26e3f07 100644
--- a/src/t8_forest/t8_forest.cxx
+++ b/src/t8_forest/t8_forest.cxx
@@ -2073,6 +2073,36 @@ t8_forest_same_level_leaf_face_neighbor_index (const t8_forest_t forest, const t
   return neigh_index;
 }
 
+int
+t8_forest_leaf_neighbor_subface (t8_forest_t forest, t8_locidx_t ltreeid, const t8_element_t *leaf, int face,
+                                 t8_eclass_t neighbor_tree_class, const t8_element_t *neighbor_leaf, int neighbor_face)
+{
+  t8_scheme const *scheme = t8_forest_get_scheme (forest);
+
+  t8_element_t *target_virtual_face_neighbor = nullptr;  // the neighbor subface we are looking for
+  scheme->element_new (neighbor_tree_class, 1, &target_virtual_face_neighbor);
+  t8_forest_element_face_neighbor (forest, ltreeid, leaf, target_virtual_face_neighbor, neighbor_tree_class, face,
+                                   nullptr);
+
+  int const num_children = scheme->element_get_num_face_children (neighbor_tree_class, neighbor_leaf, neighbor_face);
+
+  std::array<t8_element_t *, T8_ECLASS_MAX_FACE_CHILDREN> children;  // assumes the forest is (locally) 2:1 balanced
+  scheme->element_new (neighbor_tree_class, children.size (), children.begin ());
+
+  scheme->element_get_children_at_face (neighbor_tree_class, neighbor_leaf, neighbor_face, children.begin (),
+                                        num_children, nullptr);
+
+  auto iter = std::find_if (children.begin (), children.end (), [&] (t8_element *candidate) -> bool {
+    return scheme->element_compare (neighbor_tree_class, target_virtual_face_neighbor, candidate) == 0;
+  });
+  T8_ASSERT (iter != children.end ());  // make sure target_virtual_face_neighbor was found
+  int neighbor_subface_index = iter - children.begin ();
+
+  scheme->element_destroy (neighbor_tree_class, 4, children.begin ());
+  scheme->element_destroy (neighbor_tree_class, 1, &target_virtual_face_neighbor);
+  return neighbor_subface_index;
+}
+
 void
 t8_forest_print_all_leaf_neighbors (t8_forest_t forest)
 {
diff --git a/src/t8_forest/t8_forest_general.h b/src/t8_forest/t8_forest_general.h
index b80ef18a41..6a9d5b697c 100644
--- a/src/t8_forest/t8_forest_general.h
+++ b/src/t8_forest/t8_forest_general.h
@@ -675,6 +675,26 @@ t8_locidx_t
 t8_forest_same_level_leaf_face_neighbor_index (const t8_forest_t forest, const t8_locidx_t element_index,
                                                const int face_index, const t8_gloidx_t global_treeid, int *dual_face);
 
+/** Compute the subface index for a coarser neighbor
+ * \param [in] forest       The forest. Must be committed.
+ * \param [in] ltreeid      A local tree id.
+ * \param [in] leaf         A leaf in \a ltreeid.
+ * \param [in] face         The face index of \a leaf to consider.
+ * \param [in] neighbor_tree_class The eclass of the neighbor element.
+ * \param [in] neighbor_leaf The leaf of \a forest on the other side of the face of index \a face of element \a leaf.
+ * \param [in] neighbor_face The face index of \a neighbor_leaf (i.e. the dual face of \a face).
+ * \returns The index of the subface of \a neighbor_face which corresponds to \a face.
+ * \pre \a leaf and \a neighbor_leaf must be a face neighbors. The common face must correspond to \a face for \a leaf
+ *      and \a neighbor_face for \a neighbor_leaf respectively. \a neighbor_leaf must be one level coarser than \a leaf.
+ *      Otherwise the behavior is undefined.
+ * \note This function is designed to be called after \ref t8_forest_leaf_face_neighbors_ext to complement its output.
+ *       It is primarily intended for balanced forests, but can be used on any committed forest as long as the preconditions 
+ *       hold (i.e. the forest must be ''locally balanced'').
+ */
+int
+t8_forest_leaf_neighbor_subface (t8_forest_t forest, t8_locidx_t ltreeid, const t8_element_t *leaf, int face,
+                                 t8_eclass_t neighbor_tree_class, const t8_element_t *neighbor_leaf, int neighbor_face);
+
 /** Exchange ghost information of user defined element data.
  * \param [in] forest       The forest. Must be committed.
  * \param [in] element_data An array of length num_local_elements + num_ghosts