diff --git a/share/nuopc_shr_methods.F90 b/share/nuopc_shr_methods.F90
index 07cf7e53..b2b690f5 100644
--- a/share/nuopc_shr_methods.F90
+++ b/share/nuopc_shr_methods.F90
@@ -616,10 +616,16 @@ subroutine alarmInit( clock, alarm, option, &
        update_nextalarm  = .false.
 
    case (optNSteps,trim(optNSteps)//'s')
-      call ESMF_ClockGet(clock, TimeStep=TimestepInterval, rc=rc)
-      if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
-      call ESMF_TimeIntervalSet(AlarmInterval, s=dtime_drv, rc=rc )
-      if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
+      if(dtime_drv > 0) then
+         call ESMF_ClockGet(clock, TimeStep=TimestepInterval, rc=rc)
+         if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
+         call ESMF_TimeIntervalSet(AlarmInterval, s=dtime_drv, rc=rc )
+         if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
+      else
+         call ESMF_ClockGet(clock, TimeStep=AlarmInterval, rc=rc)
+         if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
+      endif
+      
       AlarmInterval = AlarmInterval * opt_n
       ! timestepinterval*0 is 0 of kind ESMF_TimeStepInterval
       if (mod(AlarmInterval, TimestepInterval) /= (timestepinterval*0)) then