diff --git a/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/io/io_netcdf/ice_history_write.F90 b/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/io/io_netcdf/ice_history_write.F90
index 57978d7f6..2f543bbd2 100644
--- a/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/io/io_netcdf/ice_history_write.F90
+++ b/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/io/io_netcdf/ice_history_write.F90
@@ -747,13 +747,12 @@ subroutine ice_write_hist (ns)
       !-----------------------------------------------------------------
       ! write time variable
       !-----------------------------------------------------------------
+       
+        ltime2 = timesecs/secday ! hist_time_axis = 'end' (default)
 
-        if (trim(hist_time_axis) == 'begin') then
-           ltime2 = time_beg(ns)
-        elseif (trim(hist_time_axis) == 'middle') then
-           ltime2 = p5*(time_beg(ns)+time_end(ns))
-        else ! hist_time_axis == 'end' (default)
-           ltime2 = timesecs/secday
+        if (hist_avg(ns)) then
+           if (trim(hist_time_axis) == "begin" ) ltime2 = time_beg(ns)
+           if (trim(hist_time_axis) == "middle") ltime2 = p5*(time_beg(ns)+time_end(ns))
         endif
        
         status = nf90_inq_varid(ncid,'time',varid)
diff --git a/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/io/io_pio2/ice_history_write.F90 b/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/io/io_pio2/ice_history_write.F90
index bbae5f5c2..a92326c58 100644
--- a/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/io/io_pio2/ice_history_write.F90
+++ b/cicecore/cicedyn/infrastructure/io/io_pio2/ice_history_write.F90
@@ -704,12 +704,11 @@ subroutine ice_write_hist (ns)
       ! write time variable
       !-----------------------------------------------------------------
 
-        if (trim(hist_time_axis) == 'begin') then
-           ltime2 = time_beg(ns)
-        elseif (trim(hist_time_axis) == 'middle') then
-           ltime2 = p5*(time_beg(ns)+time_end(ns))
-        else ! hist_time_axis == 'end' (default)
-           ltime2 = timesecs/secday
+        ltime2 = timesecs/secday ! hist_time_axis = 'end' (default)
+
+        if (hist_avg(ns)) then
+           if (trim(hist_time_axis) == "begin" ) ltime2 = time_beg(ns)
+           if (trim(hist_time_axis) == "middle") ltime2 = p5*(time_beg(ns)+time_end(ns))
         endif
        
         status = pio_inq_varid(File,'time',varid)