diff --git a/packages/seacas/libraries/exodus/src/ex_utils.c b/packages/seacas/libraries/exodus/src/ex_utils.c
index 50f5ce4a5a..183f2d2bdb 100644
--- a/packages/seacas/libraries/exodus/src/ex_utils.c
+++ b/packages/seacas/libraries/exodus/src/ex_utils.c
@@ -2321,6 +2321,30 @@ int ex__get_varid(int exoid, ex_entity_type obj_type, ex_entity_id id)
     return varid;
   }
 
+  if (obj_type == EX_ASSEMBLY) {
+    int varid = 0;
+    if ((status = nc_inq_varid(exoid, VAR_ENTITY_ASSEMBLY(id), &varid)) != NC_NOERR) {
+      snprintf(errmsg, MAX_ERR_LENGTH,
+               "ERROR: failed to locate %s id  %" PRId64 " in id array in file id %d",
+               ex_name_of_object(obj_type), id, exoid);
+      ex_err_fn(exoid, __func__, errmsg, status);
+      return EX_FATAL;
+    }
+    return varid;
+  }
+
+  if (obj_type == EX_BLOB) {
+    int varid = 0;
+    if ((status = nc_inq_varid(exoid, VAR_ENTITY_BLOB(id), &varid)) != NC_NOERR) {
+      snprintf(errmsg, MAX_ERR_LENGTH,
+               "ERROR: failed to locate %s id  %" PRId64 " in id array in file id %d",
+               ex_name_of_object(obj_type), id, exoid);
+      ex_err_fn(exoid, __func__, errmsg, status);
+      return EX_FATAL;
+    }
+    return varid;
+  }
+
   /* Everything else ... */
   /* First, locate index of this objects id `obj_type` id array */
   /* First, locate index of this objects id `obj_type` id array */
@@ -2341,8 +2365,6 @@ int ex__get_varid(int exoid, ex_entity_type obj_type, ex_entity_id id)
 
   const char *entryptr = NULL;
   switch (obj_type) {
-  case EX_ASSEMBLY: entryptr = VAR_ENTITY_ASSEMBLY(id_ndx); break;
-  case EX_BLOB: entryptr = VAR_ENTITY_BLOB(id_ndx); break;
   case EX_NODE_SET: entryptr = VAR_NODE_NS(id_ndx); break;
   case EX_EDGE_SET: entryptr = VAR_EDGE_ES(id_ndx); break;
   case EX_FACE_SET: entryptr = VAR_FACE_FS(id_ndx); break;