diff --git a/src/BoundaryConditions/field_boundary_conditions.jl b/src/BoundaryConditions/field_boundary_conditions.jl
index a42cebc3..2ffa9ded 100644
--- a/src/BoundaryConditions/field_boundary_conditions.jl
+++ b/src/BoundaryConditions/field_boundary_conditions.jl
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ end
 
 function _validate_boundary_conditions(bc::FieldBoundaryConditions, dim, side)
     for f in bc.fields
-        if halo(f, dim, side) < 1
+        if (location(f, Val(dim)) == Center()) && (halo(f, dim, side) < 1)
             error("to apply boundary conditions, halo width must be at least 1")
         end
     end
diff --git a/src/FastIce.jl b/src/FastIce.jl
index 6070362c..63fa6cde 100644
--- a/src/FastIce.jl
+++ b/src/FastIce.jl
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ module FastIce
 include("Grids/Grids.jl")
 include("GridOperators.jl")
 include("Logging.jl")
-include("Fields.jl")
 include("Architectures.jl")
+include("Fields.jl")
 include("Utils/Utils.jl")
 include("BoundaryConditions/BoundaryConditions.jl")
 include("KernelLaunch.jl")
diff --git a/src/Fields.jl b/src/Fields.jl
index d34f4a20..c2e86e5a 100644
--- a/src/Fields.jl
+++ b/src/Fields.jl
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ using Adapt
 using OffsetArrays
 using KernelAbstractions
 
-import FastIce.Grids: Location, CartesianGrid, coord
+using FastIce.Grids
+using FastIce.GridOperators
+using FastIce.Architectures
 
 abstract type AbstractField{T,N,L} <: AbstractArray{T,N} end
 
@@ -44,6 +46,8 @@ function Field(backend::Backend, grid::CartesianGrid, T::DataType, loc::L, halo:
     return Field{L}(data, halo, indices)
 end
 
+Field(arch::Architecture, args...; kwargs...) = Field(backend(arch), args...; kwargs...)
+
 expand_axis_halo(::Nothing) = (0, 0)
 expand_axis_halo(halo::Integer) = (halo, halo)
 expand_axis_halo(halo::Tuple) = (something(halo[1], 0), something(halo[2], 0))
@@ -124,4 +128,9 @@ function set!(f::Field{T,N}, grid::CartesianGrid{N}, fun::F; discrete=false, par
     return
 end
 
+# grid operators
+Base.@propagate_inbounds ∂(f::AbstractField, I, dim) = ∂(f, I, dim, location(f, dim))
+Base.@propagate_inbounds ∂(f::AbstractField, I, dim, ::Vertex) = ∂ᶜ(f, I, dim)
+Base.@propagate_inbounds ∂(f::AbstractField, I, dim, ::Center) = ∂ᵛ(f, I, dim)
+
 end