diff --git a/src/Operators/common.jl b/src/Operators/common.jl
index b86123e97b..31e3c2af1a 100644
--- a/src/Operators/common.jl
+++ b/src/Operators/common.jl
@@ -71,11 +71,11 @@ end
 struct PlaceholderSpace <: Spaces.AbstractSpace end
 struct CenterPlaceholderSpace <: Spaces.AbstractSpace end
 struct FacePlaceholderSpace <: Spaces.AbstractSpace end
+struct LevelPlaceholderSpace <: Spaces.AbstractSpace end
 
-
+placeholder_space(current_space, parent_space) = current_space
 placeholder_space(current_space::T, parent_space::T) where {T} =
     PlaceholderSpace()
-placeholder_space(current_space, parent_space) = current_space
 placeholder_space(
     current_space::Spaces.CenterFiniteDifferenceSpace,
     parent_space::Spaces.FaceFiniteDifferenceSpace,
@@ -92,7 +92,15 @@ placeholder_space(
     current_space::Spaces.FaceExtrudedFiniteDifferenceSpace,
     parent_space::Spaces.CenterExtrudedFiniteDifferenceSpace,
 ) = FacePlaceholderSpace()
+placeholder_space(
+    current_space::Spaces.AbstractSpectralElementSpace,
+    parent_space::Spaces.AbstractSpace,
+) =
+    Spaces.issubspace(current_space, parent_space) ? LevelPlaceholderSpace() :
+    current_space
 
+@inline reconstruct_placeholder_space(current_space, parent_space) =
+    current_space
 @inline reconstruct_placeholder_space(::PlaceholderSpace, parent_space) =
     parent_space
 @inline reconstruct_placeholder_space(
@@ -111,9 +119,8 @@ placeholder_space(
     ::FacePlaceholderSpace,
     parent_space::Spaces.CenterExtrudedFiniteDifferenceSpace,
 ) = Spaces.FaceExtrudedFiniteDifferenceSpace(parent_space)
-@inline reconstruct_placeholder_space(current_space, parent_space) =
-    current_space
-
+@inline reconstruct_placeholder_space(::LevelPlaceholderSpace, parent_space) =
+    Spaces.level(parent_space, left_idx(parent_space)) # extract any level
 
 strip_space(obj, parent_space) = obj