diff --git a/cosserat-continuum.cc b/cosserat-continuum.cc
index bbd022209c6a71260a5b104d534bad54792cdce3..2deb95d1a0841b1a4b82804e04f06097714a1b08 100644
--- a/cosserat-continuum.cc
+++ b/cosserat-continuum.cc
@@ -144,6 +144,9 @@ struct NeumannFunction
 
 int main (int argc, char *argv[]) try
 {
+    // initialize MPI, finalize is done automatically on exit
+    MPIHelper::instance(argc, argv);
+
     //feenableexcept(FE_INVALID);
 
     typedef std::vector<TargetSpace> SolutionType;