diff --git a/CIME/XML/env_batch.py b/CIME/XML/env_batch.py
index 21fba92ad90..81a743b8c81 100644
--- a/CIME/XML/env_batch.py
+++ b/CIME/XML/env_batch.py
@@ -685,9 +685,10 @@ def _resolve_argument(self, case, flag, name, job):
             else:
                 rval = val
 
-            # We don't want floating-point data (ignore anything else)
-            if str(rval).replace(".", "", 1).isdigit():
-                rval = int(round(float(rval)))
+            if flag != "-P":
+                # We don't want floating-point data (ignore anything else)
+                if str(rval).replace(".", "", 1).isdigit():
+                    rval = int(round(float(rval)))
 
             # need a correction for tasks per node
             if flag == "-n" and rval <= 0: