diff --git a/src/solvers/dg.jl b/src/solvers/dg.jl
index 0e4d667fbc2..7e7190100fe 100644
--- a/src/solvers/dg.jl
+++ b/src/solvers/dg.jl
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ function get_element_variables!(element_variables, u, mesh, equations,
     nothing
 end
 
+function get_element_variables!(element_variables, mesh)
+    nothing
+end
+
 function get_node_variables!(node_variables, mesh, equations,
                              volume_integral::AbstractVolumeIntegral, dg, cache)
     nothing
@@ -427,6 +431,7 @@ Base.summary(io::IO, dg::DG) = print(io, "DG(" * summary(dg.basis) * ")")
 function get_element_variables!(element_variables, u, mesh, equations, dg::DG, cache)
     get_element_variables!(element_variables, u, mesh, equations, dg.volume_integral,
                            dg, cache)
+    get_element_variables!(element_variables, mesh)
 end
 
 function get_node_variables!(node_variables, mesh, equations, dg::DG, cache)
diff --git a/src/solvers/dgsem_p4est/dg_3d_parallel.jl b/src/solvers/dgsem_p4est/dg_3d_parallel.jl
index 635c8dc795e..7040b0ade7e 100644
--- a/src/solvers/dgsem_p4est/dg_3d_parallel.jl
+++ b/src/solvers/dgsem_p4est/dg_3d_parallel.jl
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@
 @muladd begin
 #! format: noindent
 
+# Function to output the mpi rank for visualization
+function get_element_variables!(element_variables,
+                                mesh::Union{ParallelP4estMesh{3},
+                                            ParallelT8codeMesh{3}})
+    element_variables[:mpi_rank] = mpi_rank()
+    return nothing
+end
+
 function rhs!(du, u, t,
               mesh::Union{ParallelP4estMesh{3}, ParallelT8codeMesh{3}}, equations,
               boundary_conditions, source_terms::Source,