diff --git a/dune/perftool/common/timer.hh b/dune/perftool/common/timer.hh
index dda15b35b82fed69cd7ef3ccf10911385ed97a2f..84f7caf4bde0f875c3019c4df41047bf5fe686d7 100644
--- a/dune/perftool/common/timer.hh
+++ b/dune/perftool/common/timer.hh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <chrono>
 
-# include <dune/perftool/common/opcounter.hh>
+#include <dune/perftool/common/opcounter.hh>
 
 #define HP_TIMER_OPCOUNTER oc::OpCounter<double>
 
diff --git a/python/dune/perftool/options.py b/python/dune/perftool/options.py
index 16d45c59cb02ffb9aaa4a9f83bc02e364e2e78ab..ee86ec1f532290f5320728a396c1376da8fa305d 100644
--- a/python/dune/perftool/options.py
+++ b/python/dune/perftool/options.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ def get_form_compiler_arguments():
     parser.add_argument("--constant-transformation-matrix", action="store_true", help="set option if the jacobian of the transformation is constant on a cell")
     parser.add_argument("--ini-file", type=str, help="An inifile to use. A generated driver will be hard-coded to it, a [formcompiler] section will be used as default values to form compiler arguments (use snake case)")
     parser.add_argument("--timer", action="store_true", help="measure times")
+    parser.add_argument("--opcounter", action="store_false", help="Count operations. Should only be used with yaspgrid. Timer should be set.")
     parser.add_argument("--project-basedir", type=str, help="The base (build) directory of the dune-perftool project")
     # TODO at some point this help description should be updated
     parser.add_argument("--sumfact", action="store_true", help="Use sumfactorization")
diff --git a/python/dune/perftool/pdelab/driver.py b/python/dune/perftool/pdelab/driver.py
index 9b8efbea778fd2b510fa0534c996363dd242f173..7970711412d497dba95bc27a5e1b8db89825ce6b 100644
--- a/python/dune/perftool/pdelab/driver.py
+++ b/python/dune/perftool/pdelab/driver.py
@@ -1110,6 +1110,10 @@ def dune_solve():
         # Necessary includes and defines
         from dune.perftool.generation import pre_include
         from dune.perftool.generation import post_include
+
+        # TODO check that we are using YASP?
+        if get_option('opcounter'):
+            pre_include("#define ENABLE_COUNTER", filetag="driver")
         pre_include("#define ENABLE_HP_TIMERS", filetag="driver")
         include_file("dune/perftool/common/timer.hh", filetag="driver")
         post_include("HP_DECLARE_TIMER(total);", filetag="driver")
@@ -1125,7 +1129,7 @@ def dune_solve():
         solve = ["HP_TIMER_START(total);",
                  "{}".format(solve),
                  "HP_TIMER_STOP(total);",
-                 "char* exec = argv[0];"
+                 "char* exec = argv[0];",
                  "DUMP_TIMER(total, {}, true);".format(timestream),
                  ]
         solve.extend(print_times)
diff --git a/python/dune/perftool/pdelab/localoperator.py b/python/dune/perftool/pdelab/localoperator.py
index 30454153b1e659531ee388cc9df49767229311e9..b53eefb51a252cf7a51ad004e16d0cd8a49d6fc5 100644
--- a/python/dune/perftool/pdelab/localoperator.py
+++ b/python/dune/perftool/pdelab/localoperator.py
@@ -575,12 +575,14 @@ class TimerMethod(ClassMember):
         reset = name_time_dumper_reset()
         t = name_time_dumper_t()
         ex = name_time_dumper_exec()
+
+        # TODO: operator counting only works if alpha_volume_kernel exists
         content = ["template <typename Stream>",
                    "void dump_timers(Stream& {}, char* {}, bool {})".format(os, ex, reset),
                    "{",
                    "  double {} = 0.0;".format(t),
-                   "#ifdef ENABLE_COUNTERS",
-                   "  auto counter = HP_TIMER_OPCOUNTERS({})",
+                   "#ifdef ENABLE_COUNTER",
+                   "  auto counter = HP_TIMER_OPCOUNTERS(alpha_volume_kernel);",
                    "  counter.reset();",
                    "#endif",
                    ""]
diff --git a/test/poisson/dimension-grid-variations/poisson_2d_dg_quadrilateral.mini b/test/poisson/dimension-grid-variations/poisson_2d_dg_quadrilateral.mini
index ca35eccb50884552251748d611cf85fc647c55e3..d7507ae527e99cfd01c77140390eceb9411203f4 100644
--- a/test/poisson/dimension-grid-variations/poisson_2d_dg_quadrilateral.mini
+++ b/test/poisson/dimension-grid-variations/poisson_2d_dg_quadrilateral.mini
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ extension = vtu
 exact_solution_expression = g
 compare_dofs = 1e-1
 compare_l2errorsquared = 1e-4
+opcounter = 1
\ No newline at end of file