diff --git a/pytential/qbx/direct.py b/pytential/qbx/direct.py
index eac3c7fc8d667ef6b48a7f3509ade5b2f21878e2..1bcee7c042a1e8758868d4718f68fc4e4e7da3a8 100644
--- a/pytential/qbx/direct.py
+++ b/pytential/qbx/direct.py
@@ -109,7 +109,11 @@ class LayerPotentialOnTargetAndCenterSubset(LayerPotentialBase):
 
     def __call__(self, queue, targets, sources, centers, strengths, expansion_radii,
             **kwargs):
-        knl = self.get_cached_optimized_kernel()
+        from sumpy.tools import is_obj_array_like
+        knl = self.get_cached_optimized_kernel(
+                targets_is_obj_array=is_obj_array_like(targets),
+                sources_is_obj_array=is_obj_array_like(sources),
+                centers_is_obj_array=is_obj_array_like(centers))
 
         for i, dens in enumerate(strengths):
             kwargs["strength_%d" % i] = dens
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 6c4efcf855be228752790fe634c78866f3d7b384..8a3bd5f872fa76af0763bc98094c72ab5c9c077d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ setup(name="pytential",
           "boxtree>=2019.1",
           "pymbolic>=2013.2",
           "loo.py>=2017.2",
-          "sumpy>=2013.1",
+          "sumpy>=2020.2beta1",
           "cgen>=2013.1.2",
           "pyfmmlib>=2019.1.1",