diff --git a/src/geometry.cpp b/src/geometry.cpp
index 1cbb74935..563e5467b 100644
--- a/src/geometry.cpp
+++ b/src/geometry.cpp
@@ -66,11 +66,16 @@ bool check_cell_overlap(Particle& p, bool error)
 //==============================================================================
 
 int cell_instance_at_level(const Particle& p, int level) {
+  // throw error if the requested level is too deep for the geometry
   if (level > p.n_coord()) {
     fatal_error(fmt::format("Cell instance at level {} requested, but only {} levels exist in the model.", level, p.n_coord()));
   }
+
   // determine the cell instance
   Cell& c {*model::cells[p.coord(level).cell]};
+
+  if (c.distribcell_index_ == C_NONE) return C_NONE;
+
   int instance = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i < level; i++) {
     const auto& c_i {*model::cells[p.coord(i).cell]};
diff --git a/src/plot.cpp b/src/plot.cpp
index 999cf3d29..c3ef36467 100644
--- a/src/plot.cpp
+++ b/src/plot.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ IdData::set_value(size_t y, size_t x, const Particle& p, int level) {
     data_(y, x, 1) = NOT_FOUND;
   } else {
     data_(y, x, 0) = model::cells.at(p.coord(level).cell)->id_;
-    data_(y, x, 1) = p.cell_instance();
+    data_(y, x, 1) = level == p.n_coord() - 1 ?  p.cell_instance() : cell_instance_at_level(p, level);
   }
 
   // set material data