diff --git a/ndsl/initialization/allocator.py b/ndsl/initialization/allocator.py
index a4c99c8a..e466cd9e 100644
--- a/ndsl/initialization/allocator.py
+++ b/ndsl/initialization/allocator.py
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ def _allocate(
             extent=extent,
             gt4py_backend=self._backend(),
             allow_mismatch_float_precision=allow_mismatch_float_precision,
+            number_of_halo_points=self.sizer.n_halo,
         )
 
     def get_quantity_halo_spec(
diff --git a/ndsl/quantity/metadata.py b/ndsl/quantity/metadata.py
index 8383ffe9..7e7b4f16 100644
--- a/ndsl/quantity/metadata.py
+++ b/ndsl/quantity/metadata.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ class QuantityMetadata:
     "the start of the computational domain"
     extent: tuple[int, ...]
     "the shape of the computational domain"
+    n_halo: int
+    "Number of halo-points used in the horizontal"
     dims: tuple[str, ...]
     "names of each dimension"
     units: str
diff --git a/ndsl/quantity/quantity.py b/ndsl/quantity/quantity.py
index 6eba3572..bffaf884 100644
--- a/ndsl/quantity/quantity.py
+++ b/ndsl/quantity/quantity.py
@@ -36,22 +36,29 @@ def __init__(
         extent: Sequence[int] | None = None,
         gt4py_backend: str | None = None,
         allow_mismatch_float_precision: bool = False,
+        number_of_halo_points: int = 0,
     ):
-        """
-        Initialize a Quantity.
+        """Initialize a Quantity.
 
         Args:
-            data: ndarray-like object containing the underlying data
-            dims: dimension names for each axis
-            units: units of the quantity
-            origin: first point in data within the computational domain
-            extent: number of points along each axis within the computational domain
-            gt4py_backend: backend to use for gt4py storages, if not given this will
-                be derived from a Storage if given as the data argument, otherwise the
-                storage attribute is disabled and will raise an exception. Will raise
-                a TypeError if this is given with a gt4py storage type as data
-        """
+            data (_type_): ndarray-like object containing the underlying data
+            dims (Sequence[str]): dimension names for each axis
+            units (str): units of the quantity
+            origin (Sequence[int] | None, optional): first point in data within the
+            computational domain. Defaults to None.
+            extent (Sequence[int] | None, optional): number of points along each axis
+                within the computational domain. Defaults to None.
+            gt4py_backend (str | None, optional): backend to use for gt4py storages,
+                if not given this will be derived from a Storage
+                if given as the data argument. Defaults to None.
+            allow_mismatch_float_precision (bool, optional): allow for precision that is
+                not the simulation-wide default configuration. Defaults to False.
+            number_of_halo_points (int, optional): Number of halo points used. Defaults to 0.
 
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: Data-type mismatch between configuration and input-data
+            TypeError: Typing of the data that does not fit
+        """
         if (
             not allow_mismatch_float_precision
             and is_float(data.dtype)
@@ -108,8 +115,6 @@ def __init__(
                 )
             )
         else:
-            if data is None:
-                raise TypeError("requires 'data' to be passed")
             # We have no info about the gt4py_backend, so just assign it.
             self._data = data
 
@@ -117,6 +122,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._metadata = QuantityMetadata(
             origin=_ensure_int_tuple(origin, "origin"),
             extent=_ensure_int_tuple(extent, "extent"),
+            n_halo=number_of_halo_points,
             dims=tuple(dims),
             units=units,
             data_type=type(self._data),
@@ -135,6 +141,7 @@ def from_data_array(
         origin: Sequence[int] | None = None,
         extent: Sequence[int] | None = None,
         gt4py_backend: str | None = None,
+        number_of_halo_points: int = 0,
     ) -> Quantity:
         """
         Initialize a Quantity from an xarray.DataArray.
@@ -155,6 +162,7 @@ def from_data_array(
             data_array.attrs["units"],
             origin=origin,
             extent=extent,
+            number_of_halo_points=number_of_halo_points,
             gt4py_backend=gt4py_backend,
         )
 
@@ -172,6 +180,13 @@ def to_netcdf(
                 )
 
     def halo_spec(self, n_halo: int) -> QuantityHaloSpec:
+        # This is a preliminary check to see if this is ever triggered.
+        # If not, we can remove it down the line and change the call signature.
+        if n_halo != self._metadata.n_halo:
+            warnings.warn(
+                "Found inconsistency with number of halo points in Quantity:"
+                + f"{n_halo} vs {self._metadata.n_halo}"
+            )
         return QuantityHaloSpec(
             n_halo,
             self.data.strides,