diff --git a/src/Utilities/Idm/mf6blockfile/LoadMf6File.f90 b/src/Utilities/Idm/mf6blockfile/LoadMf6File.f90
index 0382e7151b4..c4698340a31 100644
--- a/src/Utilities/Idm/mf6blockfile/LoadMf6File.f90
+++ b/src/Utilities/Idm/mf6blockfile/LoadMf6File.f90
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ subroutine parse_structarray_block(this, iblk)
       call mem_setptr(nrow, idt%shape, this%mf6_input%mempath)
       nrows = nrow
     else
-      nrows = 0
+      nrows = -1
     end if
     !
     ! -- create a structured array
diff --git a/src/Utilities/Idm/mf6blockfile/StructArray.f90 b/src/Utilities/Idm/mf6blockfile/StructArray.f90
index c7b3ec5529d..44c3575ea03 100644
--- a/src/Utilities/Idm/mf6blockfile/StructArray.f90
+++ b/src/Utilities/Idm/mf6blockfile/StructArray.f90
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ function constructStructArray(mf6_input, ncol, nrow, blocknum, mempath, &
     !
     ! -- set rows if known or set deferred
     struct_array%nrow = nrow
-    if (struct_array%nrow == 0) then
+    if (struct_array%nrow == -1) then
+      struct_array%nrow = 0
       struct_array%deferred_shape = .true.
     end if
     !