diff --git a/src/DataLayouts/DataLayouts.jl b/src/DataLayouts/DataLayouts.jl
index bdd6daa430..6b62fdea19 100644
--- a/src/DataLayouts/DataLayouts.jl
+++ b/src/DataLayouts/DataLayouts.jl
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ function IJFH{S, Nij, Nh}(array::AbstractArray{T, 4}) where {S, Nij, Nh, T}
     @assert size(array, 1) == Nij
     @assert size(array, 2) == Nij
     @assert size(array, 3) == typesize(T, S)
-    @assert size(array, 4) == Nh
+    @assert size(array, 4) == Nh "Nh is $Nh and array size is $(size(array))"
     IJFH{S, Nij, Nh, typeof(array)}(array)
 end
 
@@ -340,10 +340,6 @@ function IJFH{S, Nij, Nh}(::Type{ArrayType}) where {S, Nij, Nh, ArrayType}
     IJFH{S, Nij, Nh}(ArrayType(undef, Nij, Nij, typesize(T, S), Nh))
 end
 
-# # TODO: deprecate
-# IJFH{S, Nij}(::Type{ArrayType}, Nh) where {S, Nij, ArrayType} =
-#     IJFH{S, Nij, Nh}(ArrayType)
-
 function replace_basetype(
     data::IJFH{S, Nij, Nh},
     ::Type{T},
@@ -439,10 +435,11 @@ end
 
 function gather(
     ctx::ClimaComms.AbstractCommsContext,
-    data::IJFH{S, Nij, Nh},
-) where {S, Nij, Nh}
+    data::IJFH{S, Nij},
+) where {S, Nij}
     gatherdata = ClimaComms.gather(ctx, parent(data))
     if ClimaComms.iamroot(ctx)
+        Nh = size(gatherdata, 4)
         IJFH{S, Nij, Nh}(gatherdata)
     else
         nothing
@@ -456,8 +453,8 @@ end
 Base.length(data::Data1D) = size(parent(data), 3)
 
 """
-    IFH{S, Ni, A} <: Data1D{S, Ni}
-    IFH{S,Ni}(ArrayType, nelements)
+    IFH{S,Ni,Nh,A} <: Data1D{S, Ni}
+    IFH{S,Ni,Nh}(ArrayType)
 
 Backing `DataLayout` for 1D spectral element slabs.
 
@@ -468,7 +465,7 @@ datatype `S` struct field (F), for each 1D mesh element (H).
 The `ArrayType`-constructor makes a IFH 1D Spectral
 DataLayout given the backing `ArrayType`, quadrature
 degrees of freedom `Ni`, and the number of mesh elements
-`nelements`.
+`Nh`.
 """
 struct IFH{S, Ni, Nh, A} <: Data1D{S, Ni}
     array::A
@@ -495,10 +492,6 @@ function IFH{S, Ni, Nh}(::Type{ArrayType}) where {S, Ni, Nh, ArrayType}
     IFH{S, Ni, Nh}(ArrayType(undef, Ni, typesize(T, S), Nh))
 end
 
-# # TODO: deprecate
-# IFH{S, Ni}(::Type{ArrayType}, Nh) where {S, Ni, ArrayType} =
-#     IFH{S, Ni, Nh}(ArrayType)
-
 rebuild(data::IFH{S, Ni, Nh}, array::AbstractArray{T, 3}) where {S, Ni, Nh, T} =
     IFH{S, Ni, Nh}(array)
 
@@ -1076,7 +1069,7 @@ function VIJFH{S, Nv, Nij, Nh}(
     check_basetype(T, S)
     @assert size(array, 2) == size(array, 3) == Nij
     @assert size(array, 4) == typesize(T, S)
-    @assert size(array, 5) == Nh
+    @assert size(array, 5) == Nh "Nh is $Nh and array size is $(size(array))"
     VIJFH{S, Nv, Nij, Nh, typeof(array)}(array)
 end
 
@@ -1198,10 +1191,11 @@ end
 
 function gather(
     ctx::ClimaComms.AbstractCommsContext,
-    data::VIJFH{S, Nv, Nij, Nh},
-) where {S, Nv, Nij, Nh}
+    data::VIJFH{S, Nv, Nij},
+) where {S, Nv, Nij}
     gatherdata = ClimaComms.gather(ctx, parent(data))
     if ClimaComms.iamroot(ctx)
+        Nh = size(gatherdata, 5)
         VIJFH{S, Nv, Nij, Nh}(gatherdata)
     else
         nothing