diff --git a/src/coreComponents/mesh/mpiCommunications/NeighborCommunicator.cpp b/src/coreComponents/mesh/mpiCommunications/NeighborCommunicator.cpp
index adad740b21..a8e8fe698d 100644
--- a/src/coreComponents/mesh/mpiCommunications/NeighborCommunicator.cpp
+++ b/src/coreComponents/mesh/mpiCommunications/NeighborCommunicator.cpp
@@ -538,6 +538,10 @@ int NeighborCommunicator::packCommSizeForSync( FieldIdentifiers const & fieldsTo
         } );
         break;
       }
+      default:
+      {
+        GEOS_ERROR( "Invalid field location" );
+      }
     }
   }
   this->m_sendBufferSize[commID] = bufferSize;
@@ -596,6 +600,10 @@ void NeighborCommunicator::packCommBufferForSync( FieldIdentifiers const & field
         } );
         break;
       }
+      default:
+      {
+        GEOS_ERROR( "Invalid field location" );
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -655,6 +663,10 @@ void NeighborCommunicator::unpackBufferForSync( FieldIdentifiers const & fieldsT
         } );
         break;
       }
+      default:
+      {
+        GEOS_ERROR( "Invalid field location" );
+      }
     }
   }
 }