diff --git a/tests/validation/multigrid/test_refinement_followup.py b/tests/validation/multigrid/test_refinement_followup.py
index 9af399f..da0a35e 100644
--- a/tests/validation/multigrid/test_refinement_followup.py
+++ b/tests/validation/multigrid/test_refinement_followup.py
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ class FaultGuardsCPU(unittest.TestCase):
                              ("slot_reservoir", (12, 4, 20, 21))):
             with self.subTest(mode=mode, bounds=bounds):
                 with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-                    implementation.FixedPatchStepper(cfg, bounds, context=context, coarse_boundary=mode)
+                    implementation.FixedPatchStepper(cfg, context=context, coarse_boundary=mode,
+                                                     refinements=[bounds])
                 context.activate.assert_not_called()
         # Both exact channel limits and the original periodic two-cell margin
         # must reach context activation, with no allocation or device required.
@@ -102,7 +103,8 @@ class FaultGuardsCPU(unittest.TestCase):
                              ("periodic", (2, 2, 6, 5))):
             with self.subTest(mode=mode, bounds=bounds):
                 with self.assertRaisesRegex(RuntimeError, "validated before CUDA"):
-                    implementation.FixedPatchStepper(cfg, bounds, context=context, coarse_boundary=mode)
+                    implementation.FixedPatchStepper(cfg, context=context, coarse_boundary=mode,
+                                                     refinements=[bounds])
 
     def fake_backend(self):
         backend = PeriodicPatchStepper.__new__(PeriodicPatchStepper)
@@ -154,12 +156,12 @@ class FaultGuardsCPU(unittest.TestCase):
         context = Mock(activate=nullcontext, sm_arch="sm_70")
         with patch.object(implementation, "HALO", 2):
             with self.assertRaisesRegex(RuntimeError, "four-cell"):
-                PeriodicPatchStepper(cfg, (4, 4, 12, 12), context=context)
+                PeriodicPatchStepper(cfg, context=context, refinements=[(4, 4, 12, 12)])
         p = implementation.FixedPatch2D.from_config(cfg, (4, 4, 12, 12))
         with patch.object(cuda, "Stream"), patch.object(implementation.FixedPatch2D, "from_config",
                                                        return_value=replace(p, tau_coarse=.9)):
             with self.assertRaisesRegex(RuntimeError, "omega/tau"):
-                PeriodicPatchStepper(cfg, p.bounds, context=context)
+                PeriodicPatchStepper(cfg, context=context, refinements=[p.bounds])
         module = Mock()
         module.get_global.return_value = (Mock(), 16)
         with patch.object(cuda, "Stream"), patch.object(compiler, "generate_config"), \
@@ -167,7 +169,7 @@ class FaultGuardsCPU(unittest.TestCase):
                 patch.object(compiler, "load_module", return_value=module), \
                 patch.object(cuda, "memcpy_htod") as upload:
             with self.assertRaisesRegex(RuntimeError, "layout mismatch"):
-                PeriodicPatchStepper(cfg, p.bounds, context=context)
+                PeriodicPatchStepper(cfg, context=context, refinements=[p.bounds])
             upload.assert_not_called()
 
 
@@ -241,7 +243,7 @@ class NormalBuildGPU(unittest.TestCase):
         max_error = max_bc_error = 0.0
         with CudaContext(0) as context:
             with patch.object(compiler, "generate_config", side_effect=record_config):
-                backend = implementation.FixedPatchStepper(cfg, bounds, context=context,
+                backend = implementation.FixedPatchStepper(cfg, context=context, refinements=[bounds],
                                                             coarse_boundary="slot_reservoir")
             with backend:
                 self.assertEqual(len(generated), 2)
@@ -311,7 +313,8 @@ class NormalBuildGPU(unittest.TestCase):
                             for a in (initial.coarse_f, initial.fine_f)))
         max_pop = max_drift = max_moment = 0.0
         with CudaContext(0) as context, PeriodicPatchStepper(
-                LBMConfig(nx=16, ny=16, viscosity=.1), (4, 4, 12, 12), context=context) as backend:
+                LBMConfig(nx=16, ny=16, viscosity=.1), context=context,
+                refinements=[(4, 4, 12, 12)]) as backend:
             backend.initialize(*postcollision(state, spec, maps))
             before = totals(backend.download(), maps)
             for step in range(1, 9):
@@ -342,7 +345,7 @@ class NormalBuildGPU(unittest.TestCase):
         fine_mask[4:-4, 4:-4] = True
         initial[1][:, ~fine_mask] = np.nan
         expected = scalar_interval(*[a.astype(np.float64) for a in initial], bounds)
-        with CudaContext(0) as context, PeriodicPatchStepper(cfg, bounds, context=context) as backend:
+        with CudaContext(0) as context, PeriodicPatchStepper(cfg, context=context, refinements=[bounds]) as backend:
             self.assertEqual(backend.patch.fine_shape, (14, 16))
             p = backend.patch
             allocated = 2 * 9 * (17*13+16*14) * 4 + sum(a.nbytes for a in