diff --git a/src/utils/Messenger.hpp b/src/utils/Messenger.hpp
index 878e67ed90a942e05cecde900748b323d98aae0f..a1bbe67cb1402783009f88471a136eec9859bd08 100644
--- a/src/utils/Messenger.hpp
+++ b/src/utils/Messenger.hpp
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class Messenger
                   &(gather_array[0]), data_array.size(),  mpi_datatype,
                   MPI_COMM_WORLD);
 #else // PASTIS_HAS_MPI
-    static_assert(false, "NIY");
+    gather_array = copy(data_array);
 #endif // PASTIS_HAS_MPI
   }