diff --git a/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer.hxx b/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer.hxx
index a396fef9d6..bf108cad59 100644
--- a/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer.hxx
+++ b/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer.hxx
@@ -257,12 +257,12 @@ class vtk_writer {
     /* Compute the coordinates of the element/tree. */
     double *coordinates = T8_ALLOC (double, 3 * num_node);
 
-    grid_element_to_coords (grid, itree, element, curved_flag, coordinates, num_node, element_shape);
+    T8_ASSERT (coordinates != NULL);
 
+    grid_element_to_coords (grid, itree, element, curved_flag, coordinates, element_shape);
     vtkIdType ptId = -1;
     for (int ivertex = 0; ivertex < num_node; ivertex++, (*point_id)++) {
       const size_t offset_3d = 3 * ivertex;
-
       /* Insert the point in the points array. */
       double vtkCoords[3] = { coordinates[offset_3d], coordinates[offset_3d + 1], coordinates[offset_3d + 2] };
       if (merge_points) {
diff --git a/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer_helper.cxx b/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer_helper.cxx
index ee5973b566..bd04042367 100644
--- a/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer_helper.cxx
+++ b/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer_helper.cxx
@@ -38,15 +38,15 @@ t8_get_number_of_vtk_nodes (const t8_element_shape_t eclass, const int curved_fl
 }
 
 void
-t8_forest_vtk_get_element_nodes (t8_forest_t forest, t8_locidx_t ltreeid, const t8_element_t *element, const int vertex,
+t8_forest_vtk_get_element_nodes (t8_forest_t forest, t8_locidx_t ltreeid, const t8_element_t *element,
                                  const int curved_flag, double *out_coords)
 {
   const t8_eclass_t tree_class = t8_forest_get_tree_class (forest, ltreeid);
   const t8_scheme *scheme = t8_forest_get_scheme (forest);
   const t8_element_shape_t element_shape = scheme->element_get_shape (tree_class, element);
-  const double *ref_coords = t8_forest_vtk_point_to_element_ref_coords[element_shape][vertex];
-  const int num_node = t8_get_number_of_vtk_nodes (element_shape, curved_flag);
-  t8_forest_element_from_ref_coords (forest, ltreeid, element, ref_coords, num_node, out_coords);
+  const double *ref_coords = t8_forest_vtk_point_to_element_ref_coords[element_shape][0];
+  const int num_nodes = t8_get_number_of_vtk_nodes (element_shape, curved_flag);
+  t8_forest_element_from_ref_coords (forest, ltreeid, element, ref_coords, num_nodes, out_coords);
 }
 
 template <>
@@ -202,21 +202,24 @@ grid_element_shape<t8_cmesh_t> (const t8_cmesh_t grid, const t8_locidx_t itree,
 template <>
 void
 grid_element_to_coords<t8_forest_t> (const t8_forest_t grid, const t8_locidx_t itree, const t8_element_t *element,
-                                     const int curved_flag, double *coordinates, [[maybe_unused]] const int num_node,
+                                     const int curved_flag, double *coordinates,
                                      [[maybe_unused]] const t8_element_shape_t shape)
 {
-  t8_forest_vtk_get_element_nodes (grid, itree, element, 0, curved_flag, coordinates);
+  t8_forest_vtk_get_element_nodes (grid, itree, element, curved_flag, coordinates);
 }
 
 template <>
 void
 grid_element_to_coords<t8_cmesh_t> (const t8_cmesh_t grid, const t8_locidx_t itree,
                                     [[maybe_unused]] const t8_element_t *element, const int curved_flag,
-                                    double *coordinates, const int num_node, const t8_element_shape_t shape)
+                                    double *coordinates, const t8_element_shape_t shape)
 {
   const double *ref_coords = t8_forest_vtk_point_to_element_ref_coords[shape][curved_flag];
   const t8_gloidx_t gtree_id = t8_cmesh_get_global_id (grid, itree);
-  t8_geometry_evaluate (grid, gtree_id, ref_coords, num_node, coordinates);
+  const t8_eclass_t eclass = t8_cmesh_get_tree_class (grid, itree);
+  const int num_nodes = t8_get_number_of_vtk_nodes (eclass, curved_flag);
+
+  t8_geometry_evaluate (grid, gtree_id, ref_coords, num_nodes, coordinates);
 }
 
 template <>
diff --git a/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer_helper.hxx b/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer_helper.hxx
index d87581316a..698635ba00 100644
--- a/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer_helper.hxx
+++ b/src/t8_vtk/t8_vtk_writer_helper.hxx
@@ -103,12 +103,11 @@ t8_get_number_of_vtk_nodes (const t8_element_shape_t eclass, const int curved_fl
  * \param[in] forest The forest of \a element.
  * \param[in] ltreeid The local id to the tree of \a element.
  * \param[in] element The element to process.
- * \param[in] vertex The id of the vertex to evaluate.
- * \param[in] curved_flag Flag to tell if we use curved or linear cells.
+ * \param[in] curved_flag Flag to tell if we use curved or linear cells. 
  * \param[in, out] out_coords An array to fill with the coordinates of the vertex.
  */
 void
-t8_forest_vtk_get_element_nodes (t8_forest_t forest, t8_locidx_t ltreeid, const t8_element_t *element, const int vertex,
+t8_forest_vtk_get_element_nodes (t8_forest_t forest, t8_locidx_t ltreeid, const t8_element_t *element,
                                  const int curved_flag, double *out_coords);
 
 /**
@@ -227,13 +226,12 @@ grid_element_shape (const grid_t grid, const t8_locidx_t itree, const t8_element
  * \param[in] element An element in the tree with local id \a itree. If \a grid is cmesh the input is ignored.
  * \param[in] curved_flag If true, we use quadratic elements to write.
  * \param[in, out] coordinates An array with enough space to hold 3*num_node doubles. On output filled with the coordinate of the corners of the element/tree
- * \param[in] num_node The number of nodes to use to describe the element/tree.
  * \param[in] shape The shape of the element/tree.
  */
 template <typename grid_t>
 void
 grid_element_to_coords (const grid_t grid, const t8_locidx_t itree, const t8_element_t *element, const int curved_flag,
-                        double *coordinates, const int num_node, const t8_element_shape_t shape);
+                        double *coordinates, const t8_element_shape_t shape);
 
 /**
  * Get the level of an element/tree. If \a grid is a cmesh we always return 0.