diff --git a/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/ice_domain.F90 b/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/ice_domain.F90
index db8b9d9f6..df112eb50 100644
--- a/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/ice_domain.F90
+++ b/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/ice_domain.F90
@@ -227,11 +227,11 @@ subroutine init_domain_blocks
 #ifdef CESMCOUPLED
    nprocs = get_num_procs()
 #else
-   if (nprocs == -1) then
+   if (nprocs < 0) then
       nprocs = get_num_procs()
    else if (nprocs /= get_num_procs()) then
       write(nu_diag,*) subname,' ERROR: nprocs, get_num_procs = ',nprocs,get_num_procs()
-      call abort_ice(subname//' ERROR: Input nprocs not same as system request', file=__FILE__, line=__LINE__)
+      call abort_ice(subname//' ERROR: Input nprocs not same as system (e.g MPI) request', file=__FILE__, line=__LINE__)
    endif
 #endif
 
@@ -247,7 +247,6 @@ subroutine init_domain_blocks
       endif
    endif
    
-   
 !----------------------------------------------------------------------
 !
 !  perform some basic checks on domain