diff --git a/example/advection/advection_driver.cpp b/example/advection/advection_driver.cpp
index b6890ede133c..43c3ca3e7c9e 100644
--- a/example/advection/advection_driver.cpp
+++ b/example/advection/advection_driver.cpp
@@ -149,8 +149,7 @@ TaskCollection AdvectionDriver::MakeTaskCollection(BlockList_t &blocks, const in
     // set physical boundaries
     // note "false" in call to ApplyBoundaryConditions.
     // AddTask is not smart enough to resolve function overloads or default arguments.
-    auto set_bc =
-        tl.AddTask(prolongBound, parthenon::ApplyBoundaryConditions, sc1, false);
+    auto set_bc = tl.AddTask(prolongBound, parthenon::ApplyBoundaryConditions, sc1);
 
     // fill in derived fields
     auto fill_derived =
diff --git a/src/bvals/boundary_conditions.cpp b/src/bvals/boundary_conditions.cpp
index 4dc7eb3ac519..05a27bbd33d2 100644
--- a/src/bvals/boundary_conditions.cpp
+++ b/src/bvals/boundary_conditions.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ TaskStatus ProlongateBoundaries(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &rc) {
   rc->RestrictBoundaries(); // Step 1: restrict physical boundaries
 
   // Step 2. Re-apply physical boundaries on the coarse boundary,
-  ApplyBoundaryConditions(rc, true);
+  ApplyBoundaryConditionsOnCoarseOrFine(rc, true);
 
   // Step 3. Finally, the ghost-ghost zones are ready for prolongation:
   rc->ProlongateBoundaries();
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ TaskStatus ProlongateBoundaries(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &rc) {
   return TaskStatus::complete;
 }
 
-TaskStatus ApplyBoundaryConditions(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &rc,
-                                   bool coarse) {
+TaskStatus ApplyBoundaryConditionsOnCoarseOrFine(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &rc,
+                                                 bool coarse) {
   using namespace boundary_cond_impl;
   std::shared_ptr<MeshBlock> pmb = rc->GetBlockPointer();
   Mesh *pmesh = pmb->pmy_mesh;
diff --git a/src/bvals/boundary_conditions.hpp b/src/bvals/boundary_conditions.hpp
index 388e1444f332..eca4abe58a62 100644
--- a/src/bvals/boundary_conditions.hpp
+++ b/src/bvals/boundary_conditions.hpp
@@ -30,8 +30,12 @@ using BValFunc = std::function<void(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &, bool
 
 TaskStatus ProlongateBoundaries(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &rc);
 
-TaskStatus ApplyBoundaryConditions(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &rc,
-                                   bool coarse = false);
+TaskStatus ApplyBoundaryConditionsOnCoarseOrFine(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &rc,
+                                                 bool coarse);
+
+inline TaskStatus ApplyBoundaryConditions(std::shared_ptr<MeshBlockData<Real>> &rc) {
+  return ApplyBoundaryConditionsOnCoarseOrFine(rc, false);
+}
 
 namespace BoundaryFunction {
 
diff --git a/src/interface/meshblock_data.cpp b/src/interface/meshblock_data.cpp
index c46e7a238bd7..161a3e1aac76 100644
--- a/src/interface/meshblock_data.cpp
+++ b/src/interface/meshblock_data.cpp
@@ -818,46 +818,16 @@ TaskStatus MeshBlockData<T>::ClearBoundary(BoundaryCommSubset phase) {
 
 template <typename T>
 void MeshBlockData<T>::RestrictBoundaries() {
+  // TODO(JMM): Change this upon refactor of BoundaryValues
   auto pmb = GetBlockPointer();
   pmb->pbval->RestrictBoundaries();
-  // TODO(JMM): once we have variable-level pbvals we can do this
-  /*
-  for (auto &v : varVector_) {
-    if (v->IsSet(Metadata::FillGhost)) {
-      v->pbvals->RestrictBoundaries();
-    }
-  }
-  for (auto &sv : sparseVector_) {
-    if (sv->IsSet(Metadata::FillGhost)) {
-      CellVariableVector<T> vvec = sv->GetVector();
-      for (auto &v : vvec) {
-        v->pbvals->RestrictBoundaries();
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  */
 }
 
 template <typename T>
 void MeshBlockData<T>::ProlongateBoundaries() {
+  // TODO(JMM): Change this upon refactor of BoundaryValues
   auto pmb = GetBlockPointer();
   pmb->pbval->ProlongateBoundaries();
-  // TODO(JMM): once we have variable-level pbvals we can do this
-  /*
-  for (auto &v : varVector_) {
-    if (v->IsSet(Metadata::FillGhost)) {
-      v->pbvals->ProlongateBoundaries();
-    }
-  }
-  for (auto &sv : sparseVector_) {
-    if (sv->IsSet(Metadata::FillGhost)) {
-      CellVariableVector<T> vvec = sv->GetVector();
-      for (auto &v : vvec) {
-        v->pbvals->ProlongateBoundaries();
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  */
 }
 
 template <typename T>
diff --git a/src/mesh/mesh.cpp b/src/mesh/mesh.cpp
index 597a5f4c8d6d..1274b2a67a91 100644
--- a/src/mesh/mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/mesh.cpp
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ Mesh::Mesh(ParameterInput *pin, ApplicationInput *app_in, Properties_t &properti
                 pin->GetInteger("parthenon/mesh", "nx2"),
                 pin->GetInteger("parthenon/mesh", "nx3")},
       mesh_bcs{
-          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ix1_bc", "periodic")),
-          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ox1_bc", "periodic")),
-          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ix2_bc", "periodic")),
-          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ox2_bc", "periodic")),
-          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ix3_bc", "periodic")),
-          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ox3_bc", "periodic"))},
+          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ix1_bc", "reflecting")),
+          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ox1_bc", "reflecting")),
+          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ix2_bc", "reflecting")),
+          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ox2_bc", "reflecting")),
+          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ix3_bc", "reflecting")),
+          GetBoundaryFlag(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "ox3_bc", "reflecting"))},
       ndim((mesh_size.nx3 > 1) ? 3 : ((mesh_size.nx2 > 1) ? 2 : 1)),
       adaptive(pin->GetOrAddString("parthenon/mesh", "refinement", "none") == "adaptive"
                    ? true