diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 17c02a2adac..4b7b69af93b 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ Makie = "0.19"
 MuladdMacro = "0.2.2"
 Octavian = "0.3.5"
 OffsetArrays = "1.3"
-P4est = "0.4"
+P4est = "0.4.9"
 Polyester = "0.7.5"
 PrecompileTools = "1.1"
 Printf = "1"
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ StaticArrays = "1"
 StrideArrays = "0.1.18"
 StructArrays = "0.6"
 SummationByPartsOperators = "0.5.41"
-T8code = "0.4.1"
+T8code = "0.4.3"
 TimerOutputs = "0.5"
 Triangulate = "2.0"
 TriplotBase = "0.1"
diff --git a/docs/src/parallelization.md b/docs/src/parallelization.md
index fa6fc1a5d32..3cce7c381b2 100644
--- a/docs/src/parallelization.md
+++ b/docs/src/parallelization.md
@@ -53,30 +53,43 @@ a system-provided MPI installation with Trixi.jl can be found in the following s
 
 ### [Using a system-provided MPI installation](@id parallel_system_MPI)
 
-When using Trixi.jl with a system-provided MPI backend the underlying
-[`p4est`](https://github.com/cburstedde/p4est) and [`t8code`](https://github.com/DLR-AMR/t8code)
-libraries need to be compiled with the same MPI installation. Therefore, you also need to
-use system-provided `p4est` and `t8code` installations (for notes on how to install `p4est`
-and `t8code` see e.g. [here](https://github.com/cburstedde/p4est/blob/master/README) and
-[here](https://github.com/DLR-AMR/t8code/wiki/Installation), use the configure option
-`--enable-mpi`). Note that `t8code` already comes with a `p4est` installation, so it suffices
-to install `t8code`. In addition, [P4est.jl](https://github.com/trixi-framework/P4est.jl) and
-[T8code.jl](https://github.com/DLR-AMR/T8code.jl) need to be configured to use the custom
-installations. Follow the steps described
-[here](https://github.com/DLR-AMR/T8code.jl/blob/main/README.md#installation) and
-[here](https://github.com/trixi-framework/P4est.jl/blob/main/README.md#installation) for the
-configuration. The paths that point to `libp4est.so` (and potentially to `libsc.so`) need to be
-the same for P4est.jl and T8code.jl. This could e.g. be `libp4est.so` that usually can be found
-in `lib/` or `local/lib/` in the installation directory of `t8code`.
-In total, in your active Julia project you should have a LocalPreferences.toml file with sections
-`[MPIPreferences]`, `[T8code]` and `[P4est]` as well as an entry `MPIPreferences` in your
-Project.toml to use a custom MPI installation. A `LocalPreferences.toml` file 
+When using Trixi.jl with a system-provided MPI backend, the underlying
+[`p4est`](https://github.com/cburstedde/p4est), [`t8code`](https://github.com/DLR-AMR/t8code)
+and [`HDF5`](https://github.com/HDFGroup/hdf5) libraries need to be compiled with the same MPI
+installation. If you want to use `p4est` (via the `P4estMesh`) or `t8code` (via the `T8codeMesh`)
+from Trixi.jl, you also need to use system-provided `p4est` or `t8code` installations
+(for notes on how to install `p4est` and `t8code` see, e.g., [here](https://github.com/cburstedde/p4est/blob/master/README)
+and [here](https://github.com/DLR-AMR/t8code/wiki/Installation), use the configure option
+`--enable-mpi`). Otherwise, there will be warnings that no preference is set for P4est.jl and
+T8code.jl that can be ignored if you do not use these libraries from Trixi.jl. Note that
+`t8code` already comes with a `p4est` installation, so it suffices to install `t8code`.
+In order to use system-provided `p4est` and `t8code` installations, [P4est.jl](https://github.com/trixi-framework/P4est.jl)
+and [T8code.jl](https://github.com/DLR-AMR/T8code.jl) need to be configured to use the custom
+installations. Follow the steps described [here](https://github.com/DLR-AMR/T8code.jl/blob/main/README.md#installation) and
+[here](https://github.com/trixi-framework/P4est.jl/blob/main/README.md#installation).
+for the configuration. The paths that point to `libp4est.so` (and potentially to `libsc.so`) need to be
+the same for P4est.jl and T8code.jl. This could, e.g., be `libp4est.so` that usually can be found
+in `lib/` or `local/lib/` in the installation directory of `t8code`. Note that the `T8codeMesh`, however,
+does not support MPI yet.
+The preferences for [HDF5.jl](https://github.com/JuliaIO/HDF5.jl) always need to be set, even if you
+do not want to use `HDF5` from Trixi.jl, see also https://github.com/JuliaIO/HDF5.jl/issues/1079.
+To set the preferences for HDF5.jl, follow the instructions described
+[here](https://trixi-framework.github.io/Trixi.jl/stable/parallelization/#Using-parallel-input-and-output).
+
+In total, in your active Julia project you should have a `LocalPreferences.toml` file with sections
+`[MPIPreferences]`, `[T8code]` (only needed if `T8codeMesh` is used), `[P4est]` (only needed if
+`P4estMesh` is used), and `[HDF5]` as well as an entry `MPIPreferences` in your
+`Project.toml` to use a custom MPI installation. A `LocalPreferences.toml` file 
 created as described above might look something like the following:
 ```toml
 [HDF5]
 libhdf5 = "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/hdf5/openmpi/libhdf5.so"
 libhdf5_hl = "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/hdf5/openmpi/libhdf5_hl.so"
 
+[HDF5_jll]
+libhdf5_hl_path = "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/hdf5/openmpi/libhdf5_hl.so"
+libhdf5_path = "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/hdf5/openmpi/libhdf5.so"
+
 [MPIPreferences]
 __clear__ = ["preloads_env_switch"]
 _format = "1.0"
@@ -97,6 +110,22 @@ libsc = "/home/mschlott/hackathon/libtrixi/t8code/install/lib/libsc.so"
 libt8 = "/home/mschlott/hackathon/libtrixi/t8code/install/lib/libt8.so"
 ```
 
+This file is created with the following sequence of commands:
+```julia
+julia> using MPIPreferences
+julia> MPIPreferences.use_system_binary()
+```
+Restart the Julia REPL
+```julia
+julia> using P4est
+julia> P4est.set_library_p4est!("/home/mschlott/hackathon/libtrixi/t8code/install/lib/libp4est.so")
+julia> P4est.set_library_sc!("/home/mschlott/hackathon/libtrixi/t8code/install/lib/libsc.so")
+julia> using T8code
+julia> T8code.set_libraries_path!("/home/mschlott/hackathon/libtrixi/t8code/install/lib/")
+julia> using HDF5
+julia> HDF5.API.set_libraries!("/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/hdf5/openmpi/libhdf5.so", "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/hdf5/openmpi/libhdf5_hl.so")
+```
+After the preferences are set, restart the Julia REPL again.
 
 ### [Usage](@id parallel_usage)
 
@@ -218,7 +247,7 @@ julia> HDF5.API.set_libraries!("/path/to/your/libhdf5.so", "/path/to/your/libhdf
 ```
 For more information see also the
 [documentation of HDF5.jl](https://juliaio.github.io/HDF5.jl/stable/mpi/). In total, you should
-have a file called LocalPreferences.toml in the project directory that contains a section
+have a file called `LocalPreferences.toml` in the project directory that contains a section
 `[MPIPreferences]`, a section `[HDF5]` with entries `libhdf5` and `libhdf5_hl`, a section `[P4est]`
 with the entry `libp4est` as well as a section `[T8code]` with the entries `libt8`, `libp4est`
 and `libsc`.
diff --git a/src/auxiliary/p4est.jl b/src/auxiliary/p4est.jl
index 968af339cbd..0b826254129 100644
--- a/src/auxiliary/p4est.jl
+++ b/src/auxiliary/p4est.jl
@@ -13,14 +13,20 @@ This function will check if `p4est` is already initialized
 and if yes, do nothing, thus it is safe to call it multiple times.
 """
 function init_p4est()
-    p4est_package_id = P4est.package_id()
-    if p4est_package_id >= 0
-        return nothing
+    # Only initialize p4est if P4est.jl can be used
+    if P4est.preferences_set_correctly()
+        p4est_package_id = P4est.package_id()
+        if p4est_package_id >= 0
+            return nothing
+        end
+
+        # Initialize `p4est` with log level ERROR to prevent a lot of output in AMR simulations
+        p4est_init(C_NULL, SC_LP_ERROR)
+    else
+        @warn "Preferences for P4est.jl are not set correctly. Until fixed, using `P4estMesh` will result in a crash. " *
+              "See also https://trixi-framework.github.io/Trixi.jl/stable/parallelization/#parallel_system_MPI"
     end
 
-    # Initialize `p4est` with log level ERROR to prevent a lot of output in AMR simulations
-    p4est_init(C_NULL, SC_LP_ERROR)
-
     return nothing
 end
 
diff --git a/src/auxiliary/t8code.jl b/src/auxiliary/t8code.jl
index 37cb782bb93..bd781b21c1e 100644
--- a/src/auxiliary/t8code.jl
+++ b/src/auxiliary/t8code.jl
@@ -7,34 +7,40 @@ is already initialized and if yes, do nothing, thus it is safe to call it
 multiple times.
 """
 function init_t8code()
-    t8code_package_id = t8_get_package_id()
-    if t8code_package_id >= 0
-        return nothing
-    end
+    # Only initialize t8code if T8code.jl can be used
+    if T8code.preferences_set_correctly()
+        t8code_package_id = t8_get_package_id()
+        if t8code_package_id >= 0
+            return nothing
+        end
 
-    # Initialize the sc library, has to happen before we initialize t8code.
-    let catch_signals = 0, print_backtrace = 0, log_handler = C_NULL
-        T8code.Libt8.sc_init(mpi_comm(), catch_signals, print_backtrace, log_handler,
-                             T8code.Libt8.SC_LP_ERROR)
-    end
+        # Initialize the sc library, has to happen before we initialize t8code.
+        let catch_signals = 0, print_backtrace = 0, log_handler = C_NULL
+            T8code.Libt8.sc_init(mpi_comm(), catch_signals, print_backtrace, log_handler,
+                                 T8code.Libt8.SC_LP_ERROR)
+        end
 
-    if T8code.Libt8.p4est_is_initialized() == 0
-        # Initialize `p4est` with log level ERROR to prevent a lot of output in AMR simulations
-        T8code.Libt8.p4est_init(C_NULL, T8code.Libt8.SC_LP_ERROR)
-    end
+        if T8code.Libt8.p4est_is_initialized() == 0
+            # Initialize `p4est` with log level ERROR to prevent a lot of output in AMR simulations
+            T8code.Libt8.p4est_init(C_NULL, T8code.Libt8.SC_LP_ERROR)
+        end
 
-    # Initialize t8code with log level ERROR to prevent a lot of output in AMR simulations.
-    t8_init(T8code.Libt8.SC_LP_ERROR)
-
-    if haskey(ENV, "TRIXI_T8CODE_SC_FINALIZE")
-        # Normally, `sc_finalize` should always be called during shutdown of an
-        # application. It checks whether there is still un-freed memory by t8code
-        # and/or T8code.jl and throws an exception if this is the case. For
-        # production runs this is not mandatory, but is helpful during
-        # development. Hence, this option is only activated when environment
-        # variable TRIXI_T8CODE_SC_FINALIZE exists.
-        @warn "T8code.jl: sc_finalize will be called during shutdown of Trixi.jl."
-        MPI.add_finalize_hook!(T8code.Libt8.sc_finalize)
+        # Initialize t8code with log level ERROR to prevent a lot of output in AMR simulations.
+        t8_init(T8code.Libt8.SC_LP_ERROR)
+
+        if haskey(ENV, "TRIXI_T8CODE_SC_FINALIZE")
+            # Normally, `sc_finalize` should always be called during shutdown of an
+            # application. It checks whether there is still un-freed memory by t8code
+            # and/or T8code.jl and throws an exception if this is the case. For
+            # production runs this is not mandatory, but is helpful during
+            # development. Hence, this option is only activated when environment
+            # variable TRIXI_T8CODE_SC_FINALIZE exists.
+            @warn "T8code.jl: sc_finalize will be called during shutdown of Trixi.jl."
+            MPI.add_finalize_hook!(T8code.Libt8.sc_finalize)
+        end
+    else
+        @warn "Preferences for T8code.jl are not set correctly. Until fixed, using `T8codeMesh` will result in a crash. " *
+              "See also https://trixi-framework.github.io/Trixi.jl/stable/parallelization/#parallel_system_MPI"
     end
 
     return nothing