diff --git a/src/drivers/mct/cime_config/namelist_definition_drv.xml b/src/drivers/mct/cime_config/namelist_definition_drv.xml
index cce1a1c83ee..b87b2e7a4ae 100644
--- a/src/drivers/mct/cime_config/namelist_definition_drv.xml
+++ b/src/drivers/mct/cime_config/namelist_definition_drv.xml
@@ -167,6 +167,19 @@
     </values>
   </entry>
 
+  <entry id="nan_check_component_fields">
+    <type>logical</type>
+    <category>seq_flds</category>
+    <group>seq_cplflds_inparm</group>
+    <desc>
+      .true. means that all fields passed to coupler are checked for NaN values
+    </desc>
+    <values>
+      <value>.false.</value>
+      <value cime_model='cesm'>.true.</value>
+    </values>
+  </entry>
+
   <!-- =========================== -->
   <!-- -group seq_cplflds_custom   -->
   <!-- =========================== -->
@@ -2677,7 +2690,7 @@
     <group>ccsm_pes</group>
     <desc>
       Determines what ESMF log files (if any) are generated when
-          USE_ESMF_LIB is TRUE. 
+          USE_ESMF_LIB is TRUE.
       ESMF_LOGKIND_SINGLE: Use a single log file, combining messages from
           all of the PETs. Not supported on some platforms.
       ESMF_LOGKIND_MULTI: Use multiple log files — one per PET.
diff --git a/src/drivers/mct/main/component_mod.F90 b/src/drivers/mct/main/component_mod.F90
index dd9a813fef4..d4d9db1923a 100644
--- a/src/drivers/mct/main/component_mod.F90
+++ b/src/drivers/mct/main/component_mod.F90
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ module component_mod
   use mct_mod   ! mct_ wrappers for mct lib
   use perf_mod
   use ESMF
-
+  use seq_flds_mod, only: nan_check_component_fields
   implicit none
 
 #include <mpif.h>
@@ -226,9 +226,11 @@ end subroutine comp_init
           call t_set_prefixf(comp(1)%oneletterid//"_i:")
           call comp_init( EClock, comp(eci)%cdata_cc, comp(eci)%x2c_cc, comp(eci)%c2x_cc, &
                NLFilename=NLFilename )
-          call t_drvstartf ('check_fields')
-          call check_fields(comp(eci), eci)
-          call t_drvstopf ('check_fields')
+          if(nan_check_component_fields) then
+             call t_drvstartf ('check_fields')
+             call check_fields(comp(eci), eci)
+             call t_drvstopf ('check_fields')
+          end If
           call t_unset_prefixf()
 
           if (present(seq_flds_c2x_fluxes)) then
@@ -682,9 +684,11 @@ end subroutine comp_run
 
              call t_set_prefixf(comp(1)%oneletterid//":")
              call comp_run(EClock, comp(eci)%cdata_cc, comp(eci)%x2c_cc, comp(eci)%c2x_cc)
-             call t_drvstartf ('check_fields')
-             call check_fields(comp(eci), eci)
-             call t_drvstopf ('check_fields')
+             if(nan_check_component_fields) then
+                call t_drvstartf ('check_fields')
+                call check_fields(comp(eci), eci)
+                call t_drvstopf ('check_fields')
+             endif
              call t_unset_prefixf()
 
              if ((phase == 1) .and. present(seq_flds_c2x_fluxes)) then
diff --git a/src/drivers/mct/shr/seq_flds_mod.F90 b/src/drivers/mct/shr/seq_flds_mod.F90
index 1e13dda0c85..6b634759d58 100644
--- a/src/drivers/mct/shr/seq_flds_mod.F90
+++ b/src/drivers/mct/shr/seq_flds_mod.F90
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ subroutine seq_flds_set(nmlfile, ID, infodata)
      character(len=CSS)  :: fldname, fldflow
      logical :: is_state, is_flux
      integer :: i,n
+     logical :: nan_check_component_fields
 
      ! use cases namelists
      logical :: flds_co2a
@@ -347,7 +348,7 @@ subroutine seq_flds_set(nmlfile, ID, infodata)
 
      namelist /seq_cplflds_inparm/  &
           flds_co2a, flds_co2b, flds_co2c, flds_co2_dmsa, flds_wiso, glc_nec, &
-          ice_ncat, seq_flds_i2o_per_cat, flds_bgc
+          ice_ncat, seq_flds_i2o_per_cat, flds_bgc, nan_check_component_fields
 
      ! user specified new fields
      integer,  parameter :: nfldmax = 200
@@ -381,6 +382,7 @@ subroutine seq_flds_set(nmlfile, ID, infodata)
         glc_nec   = 0
         ice_ncat  = 1
         seq_flds_i2o_per_cat = .false.
+        nan_check_component_fields = .false.
 
         unitn = shr_file_getUnit()
         write(logunit,"(A)") subname//': read seq_cplflds_inparm namelist from: '&
@@ -406,6 +408,7 @@ subroutine seq_flds_set(nmlfile, ID, infodata)
      call shr_mpi_bcast(glc_nec      , mpicom)
      call shr_mpi_bcast(ice_ncat     , mpicom)
      call shr_mpi_bcast(seq_flds_i2o_per_cat, mpicom)
+     call shr_mpi_bcast(nan_check_component_fields, mpicom)
 
      call glc_elevclass_init(glc_nec)
 
diff --git a/src/drivers/mct/shr/seq_infodata_mod.F90 b/src/drivers/mct/shr/seq_infodata_mod.F90
index 86fb0db3518..f15ddfa9067 100644
--- a/src/drivers/mct/shr/seq_infodata_mod.F90
+++ b/src/drivers/mct/shr/seq_infodata_mod.F90
@@ -276,11 +276,11 @@ MODULE seq_infodata_mod
 !===============================================================================
 !BOP ===========================================================================
 !
-! !IROUTINE: seq_infodata_Init -- read in CCSM shared namelist
+! !IROUTINE: seq_infodata_Init -- read in CIME shared namelist
 !
 ! !DESCRIPTION:
 !
-!     Read in input from seq_infodata_inparm namelist, output ccsm derived type for
+!     Read in input from seq_infodata_inparm namelist, output cime derived type for
 !     miscillaneous info.
 !
 ! !INTERFACE: ------------------------------------------------------------------