diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.cc b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.cc
index 1a4851e4e1..e72a761096 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.cc
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.cc
@@ -416,11 +416,19 @@ void VarInfo::set_magic(const ConcatString &nstr, const ConcatString &lstr) {
    if((unsigned int) nstr.length() != strcspn(nstr.c_str(), " \t") ||
       (unsigned int) lstr.length() != strcspn(lstr.c_str(), " \t")) {
       mlog << Error << "\nVarInfo::set_magic() -> "
-           << "embedded whitespace found in the nstr \"" << nstr
-           << "\" or lstr \"" << lstr << "\".\n\n";
+           << "embedded whitespace found in the name \"" << nstr
+           << "\" or level \"" << lstr << "\" string.\n\n";
       exit(1);
    }
 
+   // Format as {name}/{level} or {name}{level}
+   if(lstr.nonempty() && lstr[0] != '(') {
+      MagicStr << cs_erase << nstr << "/" << lstr;
+   }
+   else {
+      MagicStr << cs_erase << nstr << lstr;
+   }
+
    return;
 }
 
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib/var_info_grib.cc b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib/var_info_grib.cc
index 1de21c8112..7594a1d1e6 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib/var_info_grib.cc
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib/var_info_grib.cc
@@ -198,18 +198,6 @@ void VarInfoGrib::set_tri(int v) {
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-void VarInfoGrib::set_magic(const ConcatString &nstr, const ConcatString &lstr) {
-
-   // Validate the magic_string
-   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
-
-   // Store the magic string
-   MagicStr << cs_erase << nstr << "/" << lstr;
-
-}
-
-///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
 void VarInfoGrib::add_grib_code (Dictionary &dict)
 {
    ConcatString field_name = dict.lookup_string(conf_key_name,            false);
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib/var_info_grib.h b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib/var_info_grib.h
index d8267737c2..1fd2e8eca2 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib/var_info_grib.h
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib/var_info_grib.h
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ class VarInfoGrib : public VarInfo
          // set stuff
          //
 
-      void set_magic(const ConcatString &, const ConcatString &);
       void set_dict(Dictionary &);
       void add_grib_code(Dictionary &);
 
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib2/var_info_grib2.cc b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib2/var_info_grib2.cc
index 99e7d7291e..b35efcd8b4 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib2/var_info_grib2.cc
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib2/var_info_grib2.cc
@@ -257,19 +257,6 @@ void VarInfoGrib2::set_ipdtmpl_val(const IntArray &v) {
    return;
 }
 
-
-///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-void VarInfoGrib2::set_magic(const ConcatString &nstr, const ConcatString &lstr) {
-
-   // Validate the magic_string
-   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
-
-   // Store the magic string
-   MagicStr << cs_erase << nstr << "/" << lstr;
-
-}
-
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 void VarInfoGrib2::set_dict(Dictionary & dict) {
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib2/var_info_grib2.h b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib2/var_info_grib2.h
index 17ee3c461b..27ba9c396b 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib2/var_info_grib2.h
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_grib2/var_info_grib2.h
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ class VarInfoGrib2 : public VarInfo
          // set stuff
          //
 
-      void set_magic(const ConcatString &, const ConcatString &);
       void set_dict(Dictionary &);
 
       void set_record(int);
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nc_met/var_info_nc_met.cc b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nc_met/var_info_nc_met.cc
index 07c26cb2ae..49f14705ec 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nc_met/var_info_nc_met.cc
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nc_met/var_info_nc_met.cc
@@ -141,11 +141,8 @@ void VarInfoNcMet::set_magic(const ConcatString &nstr, const ConcatString &lstr)
    ConcatString tmp_str;
    char *ptr = (char *) 0, *ptr2 = (char *) 0, *ptr3 = (char *) 0, *save_ptr = (char *) 0;
 
-   // Validate the magic string
-   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
-
    // Store the magic string
-   MagicStr << cs_erase << nstr << lstr;
+   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
 
    // Set the requested name and default output name
    set_req_name(nstr.c_str());
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nc_pinterp/var_info_nc_pinterp.cc b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nc_pinterp/var_info_nc_pinterp.cc
index 61d1e58613..02da4ac8ac 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nc_pinterp/var_info_nc_pinterp.cc
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nc_pinterp/var_info_nc_pinterp.cc
@@ -141,17 +141,14 @@ void VarInfoNcPinterp::set_magic(const ConcatString &nstr, const ConcatString &l
    ConcatString tmp_str;
    char *ptr = (char *) 0, *ptr2 = (char *) 0, *ptr3 = (char *) 0, *save_ptr = (char *) 0;
 
-   // Validate the magic string
-   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
-
    // Store the magic string
-   MagicStr << cs_erase << nstr << lstr;
+   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
 
    // Set the requested name and default output name
    set_req_name(nstr.c_str());
    set_name(nstr);
 
-   // If there's no level specification, assume (0,*, *)
+   // If there's no level specification, assume (0,*,*)
    if(strchr(lstr.c_str(), '(') == NULL) {
       Level.set_req_name("0,*,*");
       Level.set_name("0,*,*");
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nccf/var_info_nccf.cc b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nccf/var_info_nccf.cc
index aafc8a5aa7..24ed320c3c 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nccf/var_info_nccf.cc
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_nccf/var_info_nccf.cc
@@ -143,11 +143,8 @@ void VarInfoNcCF::set_magic(const ConcatString &nstr, const ConcatString &lstr)
    char *save_ptr = 0;
    const char *method_name = "VarInfoNcCF::set_magic() -> ";
 
-   // Validate the magic string
-   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
-
    // Store the magic string
-   MagicStr << cs_erase << nstr << lstr;
+   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
 
    // Set the requested name and default output name
    set_req_name(nstr.c_str());
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_python/var_info_python.cc b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_python/var_info_python.cc
index 006f4d7ba7..81fb4e8045 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_python/var_info_python.cc
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_python/var_info_python.cc
@@ -147,21 +147,6 @@ void VarInfoPython::set_file_type(const GrdFileType t) {
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
-void VarInfoPython::set_magic(const ConcatString &nstr, const ConcatString &lstr) {
-
-   // Validate the magic_string
-   VarInfo::set_magic(nstr, lstr);
-
-   // Store the magic string
-   MagicStr << cs_erase << nstr << "/" << lstr;
-
-   return;
-}
-
-
-///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-
 void VarInfoPython::set_dict(Dictionary & dict) {
 
    VarInfo::set_dict(dict);
diff --git a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_python/var_info_python.h b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_python/var_info_python.h
index 78348445ba..9df494c98d 100644
--- a/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_python/var_info_python.h
+++ b/met/src/libcode/vx_data2d_python/var_info_python.h
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ class VarInfoPython : public VarInfo
          //
 
       void set_file_type(const GrdFileType);
-      void set_magic(const ConcatString &, const ConcatString &);
       void set_dict(Dictionary &);
 
          //