diff --git a/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py b/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
index 795545199..b90285d42 100755
--- a/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
+++ b/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
@@ -510,10 +510,60 @@ def getDPL_global_options(bigshm=False, ccdbbackend=True):
       return common + " --shm-segment-size ${SHMSIZE:-50000000000} "
    else:
       return common
-    
+
+
+# prefetch the aligned geometry object (for use in reconstruction)
+GEOM_PREFETCH_TASK = createTask(name='geomprefetch', cpu='0')
+# We need to query the config if this is done with or without parallel world. This needs to be improved
+# as it could be defaulted in the ConfigKey system
+with_parallel_world = 1 if args.confKey.find("useParallelWorld=1") != -1 else 0
+geom_cmd = f'''
+# -- Create aligned geometry using ITS ideal alignment to avoid overlaps in geant
+ENABLEPW={with_parallel_world}
+
+# when parallel world processing is disabled we need to switch off ITS alignment
+if [ "${{ENABLEPW}}" == "0" ]; then
+   CCDBOBJECTS_IDEAL_MC="ITS/Calib/Align"
+   TIMESTAMP_IDEAL_MC=1
+   ${{O2_ROOT}}/bin/o2-ccdb-downloadccdbfile --host http://alice-ccdb.cern.ch/ -p ${{CCDBOBJECTS_IDEAL_MC}} \
+      -d ${{ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE}} --timestamp ${{TIMESTAMP_IDEAL_MC}}
+   CCDB_RC="$?"
+   if [ ! "${{CCDB_RC}}" == "0" ]; then
+     echo "Problem during CCDB prefetching of ${{CCDBOBJECTS_IDEAL_MC}}. Exiting."
+     exit ${{CCDB_RC}}
+   fi
+fi
+
+if [ "$ENABLEPW" == "0" ]; then
+  REMAP_OPT="--condition-remap=file://${{ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE}}=ITS/Calib/Align"
+else
+  REMAP_OPT=""
+fi
+
+# fetch the global alignment geometry
+${{O2_ROOT}}/bin/o2-create-aligned-geometry-workflow ${{ALIEN_JDL_CCDB_CONDITION_NOT_AFTER:+--condition-not-after $ALIEN_JDL_CCDB_CONDITION_NOT_AFTER}} \
+      --configKeyValues "HBFUtils.startTime={args.timestamp}" -b --run ${{REMAP_OPT}}
+
+# copy the object into the CCDB cache
+mkdir -p $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/GLO/Config/GeometryAligned
+ln -s -f $PWD/o2sim_geometry-aligned.root $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/GLO/Config/GeometryAligned/snapshot.root
+if [ "$ENABLEPW" == "0" ]; then
+   [[ -f $PWD/its_GeometryTGeo.root ]] && mkdir -p $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/ITS/Config/Geometry && ln -s -f $PWD/its_GeometryTGeo.root $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/ITS/Config/Geometry/snapshot.root
+fi
+
+# MFT
+[[ -f $PWD/mft_GeometryTGeo.root ]] && mkdir -p $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/MFT/Config/Geometry && ln -s -f $PWD/mft_GeometryTGeo.root $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/MFT/Config/Geometry/snapshot.root
+'''
+
+with open("geomprefetcher_script.sh",'w') as f:
+   f.write(geom_cmd)
+GEOM_PREFETCH_TASK['cmd'] = 'chmod +x ${PWD}/geomprefetcher_script.sh; ${PWD}/geomprefetcher_script.sh'
+workflow['stages'].append(GEOM_PREFETCH_TASK)
+
+
 # create/publish the GRPs and other GLO objects for consistent use further down the pipeline
 orbitsPerTF=int(args.orbitsPerTF)
-GRP_TASK = createTask(name='grpcreate', cpu='0')
+GRP_TASK = createTask(name='grpcreate', needs=["geomprefetch"], cpu='0')
 GRP_TASK['cmd'] = 'o2-grp-simgrp-tool createGRPs --timestamp ' + str(args.timestamp) + ' --run ' + str(args.run) + ' --publishto ${ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE:-.ccdb} -o grp --hbfpertf ' + str(orbitsPerTF) + ' --field ' + args.field
 GRP_TASK['cmd'] += ' --readoutDets ' + " ".join(activeDetectors) + ' --print ' + ('','--lhcif-CCDB')[args.run_anchored]
 if (not args.run_anchored == True) and len(args.bcPatternFile) > 0:
diff --git a/MC/run/ANCHOR/anchorMC.sh b/MC/run/ANCHOR/anchorMC.sh
index 70ac64a87..702aab390 100755
--- a/MC/run/ANCHOR/anchorMC.sh
+++ b/MC/run/ANCHOR/anchorMC.sh
@@ -347,37 +347,7 @@ if [ "${ISEXCLUDED}" ]; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
-# -- Create aligned geometry using ITS ideal alignment to avoid overlaps in geant
-ENABLEPW=0
-if [[ ${remainingargs} == *"GeometryManagerParam.useParallelWorld=1"* ]]; then
-  ENABLEPW=1
-fi
-
-if [ "${ENABLEPW}" == "0" ]; then
-  CCDBOBJECTS_IDEAL_MC="ITS/Calib/Align"
-  TIMESTAMP_IDEAL_MC=1
-  ${O2_ROOT}/bin/o2-ccdb-downloadccdbfile --host http://alice-ccdb.cern.ch/ -p ${CCDBOBJECTS_IDEAL_MC} -d ${ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE} --timestamp ${TIMESTAMP_IDEAL_MC}
-  CCDB_RC="${?}"
-  if [ ! "${CCDB_RC}" == "0" ]; then
-    echo_error "Problem during CCDB prefetching of ${CCDBOBJECTS_IDEAL_MC}. Exiting."
-    exit ${CCDB_RC}
-  fi
-fi
-
-# TODO This can potentially be removed or if needed, should be taken over by o2dpg_sim_workflow_anchored.py and O2_dpg_workflow_runner.py
-if [ "${ENABLEPW}" == "0" ]; then
-  echo "run with echo in pipe" | ${O2_ROOT}/bin/o2-create-aligned-geometry-workflow ${ALIEN_JDL_CCDB_CONDITION_NOT_AFTER:+--condition-not-after ${ALIEN_JDL_CCDB_CONDITION_NOT_AFTER}} --configKeyValues "HBFUtils.startTime=${TIMESTAMP}" --condition-remap=file://${ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE}=ITS/Calib/Align -b --run
-else
-  echo "run with echo in pipe" | ${O2_ROOT}/bin/o2-create-aligned-geometry-workflow ${ALIEN_JDL_CCDB_CONDITION_NOT_AFTER:+--condition-not-after ${ALIEN_JDL_CCDB_CONDITION_NOT_AFTER}} --configKeyValues "HBFUtils.startTime=${TIMESTAMP}" -b --run
-fi
-mkdir -p $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/GLO/Config/GeometryAligned
-ln -s -f $PWD/o2sim_geometry-aligned.root $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/GLO/Config/GeometryAligned/snapshot.root
-if [ "${ENABLEPW}" == "0" ]; then
-  [[ -f $PWD/its_GeometryTGeo.root ]] && mkdir -p $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/ITS/Config/Geometry && ln -s -f $PWD/its_GeometryTGeo.root $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/ITS/Config/Geometry/snapshot.root
-fi
-[[ -f $PWD/mft_GeometryTGeo.root ]] && mkdir -p $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/MFT/Config/Geometry && ln -s -f $PWD/mft_GeometryTGeo.root $ALICEO2_CCDB_LOCALCACHE/MFT/Config/Geometry/snapshot.root
-
-# -- RUN THE MC WORKLOAD TO PRODUCE AOD --
+# -- RUN THE MC WORKLOAD TO PRODUCE TARGETS --
 
 export FAIRMQ_IPC_PREFIX=./