diff --git a/README b/README
index 906c8269..8f26f3ce 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-December 13, 2017
+February 14, 2018
 
 ======================================
 
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ PyAverager
 A package used for computing averages from climate model output.
 
 Authors:  Sheri Mickelson, Kevin Paul, and John Dennis
-Version:  0.9.14
+Version:  0.9.15
 Copyright:  Contained within LICENSE.txt
 Comments and feedback:  mickelso@ucar.edu
 
diff --git a/pyaverager/__init__.py b/pyaverager/__init__.py
index c9c29ec0..186989d7 100644
--- a/pyaverager/__init__.py
+++ b/pyaverager/__init__.py
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@
 
 import PyAverager, specification, PreProc
 
-__version__ = "0.9.14"
+__version__ = "0.9.15"
 
diff --git a/pyaverager/climAverager.py b/pyaverager/climAverager.py
index a4d19a39..5286b4fe 100644
--- a/pyaverager/climAverager.py
+++ b/pyaverager/climAverager.py
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ def time_concat(var,years,hist_dict,ave_info,file_dict,ave_type,simplecomm,all_f
                     timer.start("Recv Average Time")
                     r_rank,results = simplecomm.collect(tag=CONCAT_TAG)
                     r_rank,var_val = simplecomm.collect(tag=CONCAT_VAL_TAG)
-                    if results['dtype'] == 'S1':
+                    if results['dtype'] == 'S1' or results['dtype'] == 'c':
                         var_val = var_val[0]
                     ti = results['index']
                     var_n = results['name']
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ def time_concat(var,years,hist_dict,ave_info,file_dict,ave_type,simplecomm,all_f
                 else:
                     var_n = var
                     ti = time_index
-                    if var_val.dtype == 'S1':
+                    if var_val.dtype == 'S1' or var_val.dtype == 'c':
                         var_val = var_val[0]
                 timer.start("Write Netcdf Averages")
                 climFileIO.write_averages(all_files_vars, var_val, var_n, index=ti) 
diff --git a/pyaverager/rover.py b/pyaverager/rover.py
index 90df4f10..a0a4cd22 100644
--- a/pyaverager/rover.py
+++ b/pyaverager/rover.py
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ def check_if_series_var(f, vn, unlimited):
     if_char = False
     var = f.variables[vn]
 
-    if (var.typecode() == 'S1'):
+    if (var.typecode() == 'S1' or var.typecode() == 'c'):
         if_series = False
         if_char = True
     elif (vn == unlimited):
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ def check_if_series_var(f, vn, unlimited):
     # if it doesn't contain the unlimited dimension (time), not a series var
     elif (unlimited not in var.dimensions):
         if_series = False  
-    elif (var.typecode() == 'S1'):
+    elif (var.typecode() == 'S1' or var.typecode() == 'c'):
         if_series = False
         if_char = True
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index caf834dc..19ed3616 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from distutils.core import setup
 
 setup(name='PyAverager',
-      version='0.9.14',
+      version='0.9.15',
       description='Parallel Python Averager for Climate Data',
       author='Sheri Mickelson',
       author_email='mickelso@ucar.edu',