diff --git a/scripts/exwave_prep.sh b/scripts/exwave_prep.sh
index 462e884d6c..98711b574f 100755
--- a/scripts/exwave_prep.sh
+++ b/scripts/exwave_prep.sh
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
   RSTOFFSET=$(( ${RSTOFFSET} + ${RSTIOFF_WAV} ))
   ymdh_rst_ini=`$NDATE ${RSTOFFSET} $YMDH`
   RST2OFFSET=$(( DT_2_RST_WAV / 3600 ))
-  ymdh_rst2_ini=`$NDATE ${RST2OFFSET} $ymdh_rst_ini` # DT2 relative to first-first-cycle restart file
+  ymdh_rst2_ini=`$NDATE ${RST2OFFSET} $YMDH` # DT2 relative to first-first-cycle restart file
 # First restart file for cycling
   time_rst_ini="`echo $ymdh_rst_ini | cut -c1-8` `echo $ymdh_rst_ini | cut -c9-10`0000"
   if [ ${DT_1_RST_WAV} = 1 ]; then