diff --git a/include/FrictionQPotFEM/UniformSingleLayer2d.h b/include/FrictionQPotFEM/UniformSingleLayer2d.h
index 7e27fbc17..d013f787a 100644
--- a/include/FrictionQPotFEM/UniformSingleLayer2d.h
+++ b/include/FrictionQPotFEM/UniformSingleLayer2d.h
@@ -125,21 +125,24 @@ class System {
 
     // Minimise energy: run "timeStep" until a mechanical equilibrium has been reached.
     // Returns the number of iterations.
-    size_t minimise(double tol = 1e-5, size_t niter_tol = 20, size_t max_iter = 100000);
+    size_t minimise(double tol = 1e-5, size_t niter_tol = 20, size_t max_iter = 1000000);
 
     // Add event driven simple shear step.
-    // - "deps": size of the local stain kick to apply
-    // - "kick = false": increment displacements to the verge of yielding again
-    //   "kick = true": increment displacements such that "deps" is applied locally
-    // - "direction = +1": apply shear to the right,
-    //   "direction = -1": apply shear to the left
-    void addSimpleShearEventDriven(double deps, bool kick, double direction = +1.0);
+    // Return deformation gradient that is applied to the system.
+    double addSimpleShearEventDriven(
+        double deps, // size of the local stain kick to apply
+        bool kick, // "kick = false": increment displacements to "deps / 2" of yielding again
+        double direction = +1.0, // "direction = +1": apply shear to the right
+        bool dry_run = false); // "dry_run = true": do not apply displacement, do not check
 
     // Add simple shear until a target equivalent macroscopic stress has been reached.
     // Depending of the target stress compared to the current equivalent macroscopic stress,
     // the shear can be either to the left or to the right.
     // Throws if yielding is triggered before the stress was reached.
-    void addSimpleShearToFixedStress(double target_equivalent_macroscopic_stress);
+    // Return deformation gradient that is applied to the system.
+    double addSimpleShearToFixedStress(
+        double target_equivalent_macroscopic_stress,
+        bool dry_run = false); // "dry_run = true": do not apply displacement, do not check
 
     // Apply local strain to the right to a specific plastic element.
     // This 'triggers' one element while keeping the boundary conditions unchanged.
diff --git a/include/FrictionQPotFEM/UniformSingleLayer2d.hpp b/include/FrictionQPotFEM/UniformSingleLayer2d.hpp
index e3bd572bd..d2bee08d0 100644
--- a/include/FrictionQPotFEM/UniformSingleLayer2d.hpp
+++ b/include/FrictionQPotFEM/UniformSingleLayer2d.hpp
@@ -454,7 +454,8 @@ inline auto System::plastic_signOfSimpleShearPerturbation(double perturbation)
     return sign;
 }
 
-inline void System::addSimpleShearEventDriven(double deps_kick, bool kick, double direction)
+inline double System::addSimpleShearEventDriven(
+    double deps_kick, bool kick, double direction, bool dry_run)
 {
     FRICTIONQPOTFEM_ASSERT(this->isHomogeneousElastic());
     FRICTIONQPOTFEM_REQUIRE(direction == +1.0 || direction == -1.0);
@@ -476,7 +477,7 @@ inline void System::addSimpleShearEventDriven(double deps_kick, bool kick, doubl
 
     // no kick & current strain sufficiently close the next yield strain: don't move
     if (!kick && xt::amin(deps)() < deps_kick / 2.0) {
-        return;
+        return 0.0;
     }
 
     // set yield strain close to next yield strain
@@ -501,6 +502,10 @@ inline void System::addSimpleShearEventDriven(double deps_kick, bool kick, doubl
     // - select minimal
     double dux = xt::amin(dgamma)();
 
+    if (dry_run) {
+        return direction * dux;
+    }
+
     // add as affine deformation gradient to the system
     for (size_t n = 0; n < m_nnode; ++n) {
         u_new(n, 0) += direction * dux * (m_coor(n, 1) - m_coor(0, 1));
@@ -521,9 +526,11 @@ inline void System::addSimpleShearEventDriven(double deps_kick, bool kick, doubl
     if (!kick) {
         FRICTIONQPOTFEM_REQUIRE(xt::all(xt::equal(idx, idx_new)));
     }
+
+    return direction * dux;
 }
 
-inline void System::addSimpleShearToFixedStress(double target_stress)
+inline double System::addSimpleShearToFixedStress(double target_stress, bool dry_run)
 {
     FRICTIONQPOTFEM_ASSERT(this->isHomogeneousElastic());
 
@@ -549,6 +556,10 @@ inline void System::addSimpleShearToFixedStress(double target_stress)
     double dgamma =
         2.0 * (-1.0 * direction * epsxy + std::sqrt(std::pow(eps_new, 2.0) - std::pow(epsxx, 2.0)));
 
+    if (dry_run) {
+        return direction * dgamma;
+    }
+
     for (size_t n = 0; n < m_nnode; ++n) {
         u_new(n, 0) += direction * dgamma * (m_coor(n, 1) - m_coor(0, 1));
     }
@@ -564,6 +575,8 @@ inline void System::addSimpleShearToFixedStress(double target_stress)
 
     FRICTIONQPOTFEM_REQUIRE(xt::all(xt::equal(idx, idx_new)));
     FRICTIONQPOTFEM_REQUIRE(std::abs(target_stress - sig) / sig < 1e-4);
+
+    return direction * dgamma;
 }
 
 inline auto System::triggerElementWithLocalSimpleShear(double deps_kick, size_t plastic_element)
diff --git a/include/FrictionQPotFEM/config.h b/include/FrictionQPotFEM/config.h
index a303a78fa..93a38318b 100644
--- a/include/FrictionQPotFEM/config.h
+++ b/include/FrictionQPotFEM/config.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
 #define FRICTIONQPOTFEM_VERSION_MAJOR 0
 #define FRICTIONQPOTFEM_VERSION_MINOR 5
-#define FRICTIONQPOTFEM_VERSION_PATCH 1
+#define FRICTIONQPOTFEM_VERSION_PATCH 2
 
 #define FRICTIONQPOTFEM_VERSION_AT_LEAST(x, y, z) \
     (FRICTIONQPOTFEM_VERSION_MAJOR > x || (FRICTIONQPOTFEM_VERSION_MAJOR >= x && \