diff --git a/devito/dle/__init__.py b/devito/dle/__init__.py
index f7f213c87f..e1e708e079 100644
--- a/devito/dle/__init__.py
+++ b/devito/dle/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 from devito.dle.inspection import *  # noqa
 from devito.dle.manipulation import *  # noqa
 from devito.dle.transformer import *  # noqa
-from devito.dle.backends import init, make_grid  # noqa
+from devito.dle.backends import YaskGrid, init  # noqa
diff --git a/devito/dle/backends/yask.py b/devito/dle/backends/yask.py
index 2de3d88367..1a690cda4a 100644
--- a/devito/dle/backends/yask.py
+++ b/devito/dle/backends/yask.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from devito.visitors import FindSymbols
 from devito.tools import as_tuple
 
-__all__ = ['YaskRewriter', 'init', 'make_grid']
+__all__ = ['YaskRewriter', 'init', 'YaskGrid']
 
 
 YASK = None
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def grids(self):
             mapper[grid.get_name()] = grid
         return mapper
 
-    def setdefault(self, name, buffer=None):
+    def setdefault(self, name):
         """
         Add and return a new grid ``name``. If a grid ``name`` already exists,
         then return it without performing any other actions.
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def setdefault(self, name, buffer=None):
             grid = self.hook_soln.new_grid(name, *self.dimensions)
             # Allocate memory
             self.hook_soln.prepare_solution()
-            return YaskGrid(name, grid, self.shape, self.dtype, buffer)
+            return grid
 
 
 class YaskGrid(object):
@@ -84,11 +84,27 @@ class YaskGrid(object):
     # Force __rOP__ methods (OP={add,mul,...) to get arrays, not scalars, for efficiency
     __array_priority__ = 1000
 
-    def __init__(self, name, grid, shape, dtype, buffer=None):
+    def __new__(cls, name, shape, dimensions, dtype, buffer=None):
+        """
+        Create a new YASK Grid and attach it to a "fake" solution.
+        """
+        # Init YASK if not initialized already
+        init(dimensions, shape, dtype)
+        # Only create a YaskGrid if the requested grid is a dense one
+        if tuple(i.name for i in dimensions) == YASK.dimensions:
+            obj = super(YaskGrid, cls).__new__(cls)
+            obj.__init__(name, shape, dimensions, dtype, buffer)
+            return obj
+        else:
+            return None
+
+    def __init__(self, name, shape, dimensions, dtype, buffer=None):
         self.name = name
         self.shape = shape
+        self.dimensions = dimensions
         self.dtype = dtype
-        self.grid = grid
+
+        self.grid = YASK.setdefault(name)
 
         # Always init the grid, at least with 0.0
         self[:] = 0.0 if buffer is None else val
@@ -161,6 +177,11 @@ def f(self, other):
     __mod__ = __meta_binop('__mod__')
     __rmod__ = __meta_binop('__mod__')
 
+    @property
+    def ndpointer(self):
+        # TODO: see corresponding comment in interfaces.py about CMemory
+        return self
+
 
 class YaskRewriter(BasicRewriter):
 
@@ -357,14 +378,6 @@ def init(dimensions, shape, dtype, architecture='hsw', isa='avx2'):
     dle("YASK backend successfully initialized!")
 
 
-def make_grid(name, shape, dimensions, dtype):
-    """
-    Create a new YASK Grid and attach it to a "fake" solution.
-    """
-    init(dimensions, shape, dtype)
-    return YASK.setdefault(name)
-
-
 def _force_exit(emsg):
     """
     Handle fatal errors.
diff --git a/devito/interfaces.py b/devito/interfaces.py
index f2063e32c1..892c69be99 100644
--- a/devito/interfaces.py
+++ b/devito/interfaces.py
@@ -305,15 +305,25 @@ def _allocate_memory(self):
         from devito.parameters import configuration
 
         if configuration['dle'] == 'yask':
-            from devito.dle import make_grid
-            self._data = make_grid(self.name, self.shape, self.indices, self.dtype)
+            # TODO: Use inheritance
+            # TODO: Refactor CMemory to be our _data_object, while _data will
+            # be the YaskGrid itself.
+            from devito.dle import YaskGrid
+            debug("Allocating YaskGrid for %s (%s)" % (self.name, str(self.shape)))
+
+            self._data_object = YaskGrid(self.name, self.shape, self.indices, self.dtype)
+            if self._data_object is not None:
+                return
+
+            debug("Failed. Reverting to plain allocation...")
+
+        debug("Allocating memory for %s (%s)" % (self.name, str(self.shape)))
+
+        self._data_object = CMemory(self.shape, dtype=self.dtype)
+        if self.numa:
+            first_touch(self)
         else:
-            debug("Allocating memory for %s (%s)" % (self.name, str(self.shape)))
-            self._data_object = CMemory(self.shape, dtype=self.dtype)
-            if self.numa:
-                first_touch(self)
-            else:
-                self.data.fill(0)
+            self.data.fill(0)
 
     @property
     def data(self):