diff --git a/route/build/src/init_model_data.f90 b/route/build/src/init_model_data.f90
index c2d126cf..1c745772 100644
--- a/route/build/src/init_model_data.f90
+++ b/route/build/src/init_model_data.f90
@@ -455,12 +455,14 @@ SUBROUTINE init_ntopo(nHRU_out, nRch_out,
 
   ! get the variable dimensions
   ! NOTE: need to update maxPfafLen to the exact character size for pfaf code in netCDF
-  call get_var_dims(trim(ancil_dir)//trim(fname_ntopOld), & ! input: file name
-                    trim(meta_PFAF(ixPFAF%code)%varName), & ! input: pfaf code variable name in netcdf
-                    ierr, cmessage,                       & ! output: error control
-                    dlen=dummy)                             ! output optional: dimension length
-  if(ierr/=0)then; message=trim(message)//trim(cmessage); return; endif
-  maxPfafLen = dummy(1)
+  if (meta_PFAF(ixPFAF%code)%varFile) then
+    call get_var_dims(trim(ancil_dir)//trim(fname_ntopOld), & ! input: file name
+                      trim(meta_PFAF(ixPFAF%code)%varName), & ! input: pfaf code variable name in netcdf
+                      ierr, cmessage,                       & ! output: error control
+                      dlen=dummy)                             ! output optional: dimension length
+    if(ierr/=0)then; message=trim(message)//trim(cmessage); return; endif
+    maxPfafLen = dummy(1)
+  end if
 
   call getData(&
                ! input
diff --git a/route/build/src/popMetadat.f90 b/route/build/src/popMetadat.f90
index 5e3121ff..9f95c155 100644
--- a/route/build/src/popMetadat.f90
+++ b/route/build/src/popMetadat.f90
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ subroutine popMetadat(err,message)
  meta_NTOPO  (ixNTOPO%goodBasin      ) = var_info('goodBasin'      , 'flag to define a good basin (1=true)'               ,'-'    ,ixDims%upSeg , .false.)
 
  ! PFAF CODE                                     varName        varDesc                                                varUnit, varType, varFile
- meta_PFAF  (ixPFAF%code             ) = var_info('code'           , 'pfafstetter code'                                   ,'-'    ,ixDims%seg   , .true.)
+ meta_PFAF  (ixPFAF%code             ) = var_info('code'           , 'pfafstetter code'                                   ,'-'    ,ixDims%seg   , .false.)
 
  ! ---------- populate segment fluxes/states metadata structures -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ! Reach Flux                                   varName              varDesc                                 unit,   varType,  varDim,                     writeOut