diff --git a/src/main/restFileMod.F90 b/src/main/restFileMod.F90
index 9beeec1b92..c352572d02 100644
--- a/src/main/restFileMod.F90
+++ b/src/main/restFileMod.F90
@@ -714,10 +714,10 @@ subroutine restFile_dimcheck( ncid )
        call check_dim(ncid, namep, nump, msg=msg)
        if ( use_fates ) call check_dim(ncid, nameCohort  , numCohort, msg=msg)
     end if
-    call check_dim(ncid, 'levsno'  , nlevsno, &
-         msg = 'You can deal with this mismatch by rerunning with ' // &
-               'use_init_interp = .true. in user_nl_clm')
-    call check_dim(ncid, 'levgrnd' , nlevgrnd)
+    msg = 'You can deal with this mismatch by rerunning with ' // &
+         'use_init_interp = .true. in user_nl_clm'
+    call check_dim(ncid, 'levsno'  , nlevsno, msg=msg)
+    call check_dim(ncid, 'levgrnd' , nlevgrnd, msg=msg)
     call check_dim(ncid, 'levurb'  , nlevurb)
     call check_dim(ncid, 'levlak'  , nlevlak)