diff --git a/dune/istl/basearray.hh b/dune/istl/basearray.hh
index 41d952073ef805af69f045d471d52ba00d274a07..1bd4021a30208ff8641fac948a73644401401f57 100644
--- a/dune/istl/basearray.hh
+++ b/dune/istl/basearray.hh
@@ -137,6 +137,12 @@ namespace Dune {
         --i;
       }
 
+      // Needed for operator[] of the iterator
+      B& elementAt (std::ptrdiff_t offset) const
+      {
+        return *(i+offset);
+      }
+
       //! dereferencing
       B& dereference () const
       {