diff --git a/code/api/include/allscale/api/user/data/grid.h b/code/api/include/allscale/api/user/data/grid.h
index d4d0d02..acc9ce4 100755
--- a/code/api/include/allscale/api/user/data/grid.h
+++ b/code/api/include/allscale/api/user/data/grid.h
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ namespace data {
 		}
 
 		bool operator==(const GridRegion& other) const {
-			return difference(*this,other).empty() && other.difference(other,*this).empty();
+			return difference(*this,other, false).empty() && other.difference(other,*this, false).empty();
 		}
 
 		bool operator!=(const GridRegion& other) const {
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ namespace data {
 
 			// build result
 			GridRegion res = a;
+            res.regions.reserve(a.regions.size() + b.regions.size());
 
 			// combine regions
 			for(const auto& cur : difference(b,a).regions) {
@@ -531,6 +532,8 @@ namespace data {
 			// build result
 			GridRegion res;
 
+            res.regions.reserve(a.regions.size() + b.regions.size());
+
 			// combine regions
 			for(const auto& curA : a.regions) {
 				for(const auto& curB : b.regions) {
@@ -548,7 +551,7 @@ namespace data {
 			return res;
 		}
 
-		static GridRegion difference(const GridRegion& a, const GridRegion& b) {
+		static GridRegion difference(const GridRegion& a, const GridRegion& b, bool do_compress = true) {
 
 			// handle empty sets
 			if(a.empty() || b.empty()) return a;
@@ -569,8 +572,11 @@ namespace data {
 				res.regions.swap(next);
 			}
 
-			// compress result
-			res.compress();
+            if (do_compress)
+            {
+                // compress result
+                res.compress();
+            }
 
 			// done
 			return res;
diff --git a/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/arrays.h b/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/arrays.h
index 065d92b..d147015 100755
--- a/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/arrays.h
+++ b/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/arrays.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 #ifdef ALLSCALE_WITH_HPX
 	#include <hpx/runtime/serialization/array.hpp>
-#endif
+#else
 
 #include "allscale/utils/serializer.h"
 
@@ -63,3 +63,4 @@ namespace utils {
 } // end namespace utils
 } // end namespace allscale
 
+#endif
diff --git a/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/strings.h b/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/strings.h
index 619b59e..71080e9 100644
--- a/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/strings.h
+++ b/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/strings.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 #ifdef ALLSCALE_WITH_HPX
 #include <hpx/runtime/serialization/string.hpp>
-#endif
+#else
 
 #include "allscale/utils/serializer.h"
 
@@ -32,3 +32,5 @@ namespace utils {
 
 } // end namespace utils
 } // end namespace allscale
+
+#endif
diff --git a/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/vectors.h b/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/vectors.h
index d131d02..6cf36ac 100644
--- a/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/vectors.h
+++ b/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/serializer/vectors.h
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 
 #ifdef ALLSCALE_WITH_HPX
 	#include "allscale/utils/serializer.h"
-#endif
+	#include <hpx/runtime/serialization/vector.hpp>
+#else
 
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -80,3 +81,4 @@ namespace utils {
 
 } // end namespace utils
 } // end namespace allscale
+#endif
diff --git a/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/vector.h b/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/vector.h
index d121a2f..fa41229 100755
--- a/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/vector.h
+++ b/code/utils/include/allscale/utils/vector.h
@@ -104,6 +104,26 @@ namespace utils {
 			return out << vec.data;
 		}
 
+#ifdef ALLSCALE_WITH_HPX
+        template <typename Archive>
+        void serialize(Archive& ar, unsigned)
+        {
+            ar & data;
+        }
+#endif
+
+	private:
+
+		template<typename R, std::size_t ... Index>
+		void init_internal(const std::initializer_list<R>& list, const std::integer_sequence<std::size_t,Index...>&) {
+			__allscale_unused auto bla = { data[Index] = *(list.begin() + Index) ... };
+		}
+
+		template<typename R>
+		void init(const std::initializer_list<R>& list) {
+			init_internal(list,std::make_index_sequence<Dims>());
+		}
+
 	};
 
 	template<typename T, std::size_t Dims, typename S>
@@ -309,6 +329,16 @@ namespace utils {
 			return out << "[" << vec.x << "," << vec.y << "," << vec.z << "]";
 		}
 
+#ifdef ALLSCALE_WITH_HPX
+        template <typename Archive>
+        void serialize(Archive& ar, unsigned)
+        {
+            ar & x;
+            ar & y;
+            ar & z;
+        }
+#endif
+
 	};
 
 	template<typename T>
@@ -398,8 +428,18 @@ namespace utils {
 			return out << "[" << vec.x << "," << vec.y << "]";
 		}
 
+#ifdef ALLSCALE_WITH_HPX
+        template <typename Archive>
+        void serialize(Archive& ar, unsigned)
+        {
+            ar & x;
+            ar & y;
+        }
+#endif
+
 	};
 
+#ifndef ALLSCALE_WITH_HPX
 	/**
 	 * Add support for trivially serializing / de-serializing Vector instances.
 	 */
@@ -412,6 +452,7 @@ namespace utils {
 	 */
 	template<typename T, std::size_t Dims>
 	struct serializer<Vector<T,Dims>,typename std::enable_if<!is_trivially_serializable<T>::value && is_serializable<T>::value,void>::type> : public serializer<std::array<T,Dims>> {};
+#endif
 
 } // end namespace utils
 } // end namespace allscale