diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 87ab7a6..f7d751e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ if (NOT MEAN_FIELD_UNIFORM_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER_INCREMENT MATCHES "^[0-9]+$")
     message(FATAL_ERROR "MEAN_FIELD_UNIFORM_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER_INCREMENT must be a non-negative integer")
 endif ()
 
+set(MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER 2 CACHE STRING
+        "Density family order before the uniform increment; other fields retain their registered orders")
+if (NOT MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER MATCHES "^[0-9]+$")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER must be a non-negative integer")
+endif ()
+
 add_compile_options(
         -gdwarf-4
         -Wno-unused-parameter
@@ -47,6 +53,7 @@ add_library(mean_field)
 target_compile_definitions(mean_field
         PUBLIC
         MEAN_FIELD_UNIFORM_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER_INCREMENT=${MEAN_FIELD_UNIFORM_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER_INCREMENT}
+        MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER=${MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER}
         MEAN_FIELD_ENABLE_PROFILING=$<BOOL:${MEAN_FIELD_ENABLE_PROFILING}>
 )
 
diff --git a/libmeanfield/interface/field/field_registry.cppm b/libmeanfield/interface/field/field_registry.cppm
index 21eca9a..b2963e6 100644
--- a/libmeanfield/interface/field/field_registry.cppm
+++ b/libmeanfield/interface/field/field_registry.cppm
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ module;
 #define MEAN_FIELD_UNIFORM_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER_INCREMENT 0
 #endif
 
+#ifndef MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER
+#define MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER 2
+#endif
+
 export module mean_field:field.registry;
 
 export import :dimensions.quantities;
@@ -24,7 +28,12 @@ export namespace mean_field::field {
 
     struct Density {
         static constexpr std::string_view name = "density";
-        static constexpr int scalarOrder       = 2 + uniformPolynomialOrderIncrement;
+        // Density need not share the gravity potential's approximation order.
+        // Keeping this choice in the registry also updates every form query and
+        // compiled block layout, unlike changing only the runtime FE collection.
+        static constexpr int baseScalarOrder   = MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER;
+        static_assert(baseScalarOrder >= 0);
+        static constexpr int scalarOrder       = baseScalarOrder + uniformPolynomialOrderIncrement;
 
         using PhysicalQuantity                 = dimensions::quantity::Density;
         using Support                          = DomainSupport<utils::domain::Stellar>;
diff --git a/tests/field/field_registry.cpp b/tests/field/field_registry.cpp
index 138bf92..ae38135 100644
--- a/tests/field/field_registry.cpp
+++ b/tests/field/field_registry.cpp
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ TEST_CASE(
 
     CHECK(field::Density::Scalar::symbol == std::string_view{"ρ"});
 
-    STATIC_REQUIRE(field::Density::scalarOrder == 2);
+    STATIC_REQUIRE(field::Density::scalarOrder ==
+                   MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER + field::uniformPolynomialOrderIncrement);
 
     STATIC_REQUIRE(field::Density::Scalar::rankValue == 0);
 
diff --git a/tests/quadrature/policy.cpp b/tests/quadrature/policy.cpp
index b3c7a9b..3edac14 100644
--- a/tests/quadrature/policy.cpp
+++ b/tests/quadrature/policy.cpp
@@ -448,7 +448,8 @@ TEST_CASE(
     "Field Registry Encodes Spaces Orders And Stable Pair Constraints",
     tags::unit &tags::quadrature &tags::initialization
 ) {
-    CHECK(mean_field::field::Density::Scalar::familyOrder == 2);
+    CHECK(mean_field::field::Density::Scalar::familyOrder ==
+          MEAN_FIELD_DENSITY_POLYNOMIAL_ORDER + mean_field::field::uniformPolynomialOrderIncrement);
     CHECK(mean_field::field::Gravity::Potential::familyOrder == 2);
     CHECK(mean_field::field::Gravity::Flux::familyOrder == 2);
     CHECK(mean_field::field::Displacement::Vector::familyOrder == 3);