diff --git a/biogeochem/EDCanopyStructureMod.F90 b/biogeochem/EDCanopyStructureMod.F90
index e859a7339f..22951fcf9f 100644
--- a/biogeochem/EDCanopyStructureMod.F90
+++ b/biogeochem/EDCanopyStructureMod.F90
@@ -2245,7 +2245,7 @@ subroutine UpdateCohortLAI(currentCohort, canopy_layer_tlai, total_canopy_area)
    ! Update LAI and related variables for a given cohort
    
    ! Uses
-   use EDParamsMod, only : dlower_vai
+   use EDParamsMod, only : dlower_vai, dinc_vai
    
    ! Arguments
    type(fates_cohort_type),intent(inout), target   :: currentCohort
@@ -2272,6 +2272,12 @@ subroutine UpdateCohortLAI(currentCohort, canopy_layer_tlai, total_canopy_area)
                                        currentCohort%vcmax25top,4)
    end if
 
+   ! cap leaf allometries that are larger than the allowable array space.
+   if( (currentCohort%treelai + currentCohort%treesai) > (sum(dinc_vai)) )then
+      currentCohort%treelai = sum(dinc_vai) * (1._r8 - prt_params%allom_sai_scaler(currentCohort%pft))
+      currentCohort%treesai = sum(dinc_vai) * prt_params%allom_sai_scaler(currentCohort%pft)
+   endif
+
    ! Number of actual vegetation layers in this cohort's crown
    currentCohort%nv =  count((currentCohort%treelai+currentCohort%treesai) .gt. dlower_vai(:)) + 1
    
diff --git a/biogeochem/EDPhysiologyMod.F90 b/biogeochem/EDPhysiologyMod.F90
index dddfd83113..053f6f7064 100644
--- a/biogeochem/EDPhysiologyMod.F90
+++ b/biogeochem/EDPhysiologyMod.F90
@@ -720,6 +720,12 @@ subroutine trim_canopy( currentSite )
                currentPatch%canopy_layer_tlai, currentCohort%treelai, &
                currentCohort%vcmax25top,0 )  
 
+          ! cap leaf allometries that are larger than the allowable array space.
+          if( (currentCohort%treelai + currentCohort%treesai) > (sum(dinc_vai)) )then
+             currentCohort%treelai = sum(dinc_vai) * (1._r8 - prt_params%allom_sai_scaler(currentCohort%pft))
+             currentCohort%treesai = sum(dinc_vai) * prt_params%allom_sai_scaler(currentCohort%pft)
+          endif
+
           currentCohort%nv      = count((currentCohort%treelai+currentCohort%treesai) .gt. dlower_vai(:)) + 1
 
           if (currentCohort%nv > nlevleaf)then
diff --git a/biogeochem/FatesAllometryMod.F90 b/biogeochem/FatesAllometryMod.F90
index 3cf1ab36a4..c2a35fd948 100644
--- a/biogeochem/FatesAllometryMod.F90
+++ b/biogeochem/FatesAllometryMod.F90
@@ -829,29 +829,33 @@ real(r8) function tree_sai(pft, dbh, crowndamage, canopy_trim, elongf_stem, c_ar
 
     if( (treelai + tree_sai) > (sum(dinc_vai)) )then
 
-       call h_allom(dbh,pft,h)
-
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'The leaf and stem are predicted for a cohort, maxed out the array size'
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'lai: ',treelai
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'sai: ',tree_sai
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'lai+sai: ',treelai+tree_sai
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'target_bleaf: ', target_bleaf
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'area: ', c_area
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'target_lai: ',target_lai
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'dinc_vai:',dinc_vai
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'nlevleaf,sum(dinc_vai):',nlevleaf,sum(dinc_vai)
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'pft: ',pft
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'call id: ',call_id
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'n: ',nplant
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'dbh: ',dbh,' dbh_max: ',prt_params%allom_dbh_maxheight(pft)
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'h: ',h
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'canopy_trim: ',canopy_trim
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'canopy layer: ',cl
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'canopy_tlai: ',canopy_lai(:)
-       write(fates_log(),*) 'vcmax25top: ',vcmax25top
-       call endrun(msg=errMsg(sourcefile, __LINE__))
+       ! output warning message. use a separate warning index for each PFT that encounters this error.
+       warn_msg = 'Lai+sai for cohort maxed out the array size. lai, sai, pft, dbh: '//trim(N2S(treelai))// &
+            ', '//trim(N2S(tree_sai))//', '//trim(I2S(pft))//', '//trim(N2S(dbh))
+       call FatesWarn(warn_msg,index=100+pft)
+
+       ! old error message below.
+       ! call h_allom(dbh,pft,h)
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'lai: ',treelai
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'sai: ',tree_sai
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'lai+sai: ',treelai+tree_sai
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'target_bleaf: ', target_bleaf
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'area: ', c_area
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'target_lai: ',target_lai
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'dinc_vai:',dinc_vai
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'nlevleaf,sum(dinc_vai):',nlevleaf,sum(dinc_vai)
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'pft: ',pft
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'call id: ',call_id
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'n: ',nplant
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'dbh: ',dbh,' dbh_max: ',prt_params%allom_dbh_maxheight(pft)
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'h: ',h
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'canopy_trim: ',canopy_trim
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'canopy layer: ',cl
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'canopy_tlai: ',canopy_lai(:)
+       ! write(fates_log(),*) 'vcmax25top: ',vcmax25top
+       ! call endrun(msg=errMsg(sourcefile, __LINE__))
     end if
-    
+
 
 
     return