diff --git a/dash/include/dash/pattern/BlockPattern.h b/dash/include/dash/pattern/BlockPattern.h
index 74f792279..360b80011 100644
--- a/dash/include/dash/pattern/BlockPattern.h
+++ b/dash/include/dash/pattern/BlockPattern.h
@@ -1204,9 +1204,9 @@ class BlockPattern
   constexpr SizeType local_size(
     team_unit_t unit = UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID) const noexcept
   {
-    return (unit == UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID)
+    return (unit == UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID || _team->myid() == unit)
            ? _local_memory_layout.size()
-           : initialize_local_extents(unit).size();
+           : LocalMemoryLayout_t(initialize_local_extents(unit)).size();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/dash/include/dash/pattern/BlockPattern1D.h b/dash/include/dash/pattern/BlockPattern1D.h
index 3d69b8ef8..e54bc3af8 100644
--- a/dash/include/dash/pattern/BlockPattern1D.h
+++ b/dash/include/dash/pattern/BlockPattern1D.h
@@ -965,26 +965,11 @@ class BlockPattern<1, Arrangement, IndexType>
    *
    * \see  DashPatternConcept
    */
-  constexpr SizeType local_size(team_unit_t unit) const
+  constexpr SizeType local_size(team_unit_t unit = UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID) const
   {
-    return (unit == _team->myid().id)
+    return (UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID == unit || unit == _team->myid().id)
            ? _local_size
-           : initialize_local_extent(unit);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * The actual number of elements in this pattern that are local to the
-   * calling unit in total.
-   *
-   * \see  blocksize()
-   * \see  local_extent()
-   * \see  local_capacity()
-   *
-   * \see  DashPatternConcept
-   */
-  constexpr SizeType local_size() const noexcept
-  {
-    return _local_size;
+           : LocalMemoryLayout_t(initialize_local_extent(unit)).size();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/dash/include/dash/pattern/SeqTilePattern.h b/dash/include/dash/pattern/SeqTilePattern.h
index a188e0661..2f3b9984b 100644
--- a/dash/include/dash/pattern/SeqTilePattern.h
+++ b/dash/include/dash/pattern/SeqTilePattern.h
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@ class SeqTilePattern
    * \see  DashPatternConcept
    */
   SizeType local_size(team_unit_t unit = UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID) const {
-    if (unit == DART_UNDEFINED_UNIT_ID) {
+    if (unit == DART_UNDEFINED_UNIT_ID || _team->myid() == unit) {
       return _local_memory_layout.size();
     }
     // Non-local query, requires to construct local memory layout of
diff --git a/dash/include/dash/pattern/TilePattern.h b/dash/include/dash/pattern/TilePattern.h
index 9d75d623f..70b3141d6 100644
--- a/dash/include/dash/pattern/TilePattern.h
+++ b/dash/include/dash/pattern/TilePattern.h
@@ -1349,7 +1349,7 @@ class TilePattern
    * \see  DashPatternConcept
    */
   SizeType local_size(team_unit_t unit = UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID) const {
-    if (unit == UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID) {
+    if (unit == UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID || _team->myid() == unit) {
       return _local_memory_layout.size();
     }
     // Non-local query, requires to construct local memory layout of
diff --git a/dash/include/dash/pattern/TilePattern1D.h b/dash/include/dash/pattern/TilePattern1D.h
index e6a324a57..ce55be1f7 100644
--- a/dash/include/dash/pattern/TilePattern1D.h
+++ b/dash/include/dash/pattern/TilePattern1D.h
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class TilePattern<1, Arrangement, IndexType>
         _blocksize,
         _nunits)),
     _local_size(
-        initialize_local_extent(_team->myid())),
+        initialize_local_extents(_team->myid())),
     _local_memory_layout(std::array<SizeType, 1> {{ _local_size }}),
     _nlblocks(initialize_num_local_blocks(
         _blocksize,
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ class TilePattern<1, Arrangement, IndexType>
     , _nunits(_team->size())
     , _blocksize(initialize_blocksize(_size, _distspec, _nunits))
     , _nblocks(initialize_num_blocks(_size, _blocksize, _nunits))
-    , _local_size(initialize_local_extent(_team->myid()))
+    , _local_size(initialize_local_extents(_team->myid()))
     , _local_memory_layout(std::array<SizeType, 1>{{_local_size}})
     , _nlblocks(initialize_num_local_blocks(_blocksize, _local_size))
     , _local_capacity(initialize_local_capacity())
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ class TilePattern<1, Arrangement, IndexType>
 
   /**
    * The actual number of elements in this pattern that are local to the
-   * calling unit in total.
+   * specified (or calling) unit in total.
    *
    * \see  blocksize()
    * \see  local_extent()
@@ -921,10 +921,14 @@ class TilePattern<1, Arrangement, IndexType>
    *
    * \see  DashPatternConcept
    */
-  constexpr SizeType local_size() const {
-    return _local_size;
+  SizeType local_size(team_unit_t unit = UNDEFINED_TEAM_UNIT_ID) const {
+    if (unit == DART_UNDEFINED_UNIT_ID || _team->myid() == unit) {
+      return _local_memory_layout.size();
+    }
+    // Non-local query, requires to construct local memory layout of
+    // remote unit:
+    return LocalMemoryLayout_t(initialize_local_extents(unit)).size();
   }
-
   /**
    * The number of units to which this pattern's elements are mapped.
    *
@@ -1049,7 +1053,7 @@ class TilePattern<1, Arrangement, IndexType>
         _blocksize,
         _nunits)),
     _local_size(
-        initialize_local_extent(_team->myid())),
+        initialize_local_extents(_team->myid())),
     _local_memory_layout(std::array<SizeType, 1> {{ _local_size }}),
     _nlblocks(initialize_num_local_blocks(
         _blocksize,
@@ -1154,7 +1158,7 @@ class TilePattern<1, Arrangement, IndexType>
   /**
    * Resolve extents of local memory layout for a specified unit.
    */
-  SizeType initialize_local_extent(
+  SizeType initialize_local_extents(
     team_unit_t unit) const {
     DASH_LOG_DEBUG_VAR("TilePattern<1>.init_local_extent()", unit);
     DASH_LOG_DEBUG_VAR("TilePattern<1>.init_local_extent()", _nunits);
diff --git a/dash/test/container/MatrixTest.cc b/dash/test/container/MatrixTest.cc
index 363dc727b..247865aaf 100644
--- a/dash/test/container/MatrixTest.cc
+++ b/dash/test/container/MatrixTest.cc
@@ -1676,3 +1676,47 @@ TEST_F(MatrixTest, LocalDiagonal){
     ASSERT_EQ_U(value_sub, unit);
   }
 }
+
+template<typename PatternT>
+static void
+test_pattern_local_size(dash::Distribution dist)
+{
+  using TeamSpecT = dash::TeamSpec<2>;
+  using MatrixT = dash::NArray<double, 2, dash::default_index_t, PatternT>;
+  using SizeSpecT = dash::SizeSpec<2>;
+  using DistSpecT = dash::DistributionSpec<2>;
+
+  auto size_spec = SizeSpecT(4*dash::size(), 4*::dash::size());
+  auto dist_spec = DistSpecT(dist, dist);
+
+  auto& team_all = dash::Team::All();
+  TeamSpecT team_all_spec(team_all.size(), 1);
+  team_all_spec.balance_extents();
+  MatrixT matrix(size_spec, dist_spec, team_all, team_all_spec);
+
+  ASSERT_EQ_U(matrix.local.size(), matrix.pattern().local_size());
+
+  size_t size = 0;
+  for (dash::team_unit_t unit{0}; unit < dash::size(); ++unit) {
+    size += matrix.pattern().local_size(unit);
+  }
+  ASSERT_EQ_U(size, matrix.size());
+
+}
+
+TEST_F(MatrixTest, BlockPatternLocalSize){
+  test_pattern_local_size<typename dash::BlockPattern<2>>(dash::BLOCKED);
+}
+
+TEST_F(MatrixTest, TilePatternLocalSize){
+  test_pattern_local_size<typename dash::TilePattern<2>>(dash::BLOCKED);
+  test_pattern_local_size<typename dash::TilePattern<2>>(dash::TILE(4));
+}
+
+TEST_F(MatrixTest, ShiftTilePatternLocalSize){
+  test_pattern_local_size<typename dash::ShiftTilePattern<2>>(dash::TILE(4));
+}
+
+TEST_F(MatrixTest, SeqTilePatternLocalSize){
+  test_pattern_local_size<typename dash::SeqTilePattern<2>>(dash::TILE(4));
+}