diff --git a/dune/gfe/localgeodesicfefunction.hh b/dune/gfe/localgeodesicfefunction.hh
index 0ae8b5cddacb517c2a16c85a1040077e476d4087..1b2d90073cb745f5ad065350a0a3324123da0cd4 100644
--- a/dune/gfe/localgeodesicfefunction.hh
+++ b/dune/gfe/localgeodesicfefunction.hh
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
 #include <dune/gfe/tensor3.hh>
 #include <dune/gfe/linearalgebra.hh>
 
+// forward declaration
+template <int dim, class ctype, class LocalFiniteElement, class TargetSpace>
+class LocalGFETestFunction;
+
 /** \brief A function defined by simplicial geodesic interpolation 
            from the reference element to a Riemannian manifold.
     
@@ -29,6 +33,7 @@ class LocalGeodesicFEFunction
     
     static const int spaceDim = TargetSpace::TangentVector::dimension;
 
+    friend class LocalGFETestFunction<dim,ctype,LocalFiniteElement,TargetSpace>;
 public:
 
     /** \brief Constructor