diff --git a/src/icb_step.F90 b/src/icb_step.F90
index 17ae8b31c..f15b28c91 100644
--- a/src/icb_step.F90
+++ b/src/icb_step.F90
@@ -554,9 +554,10 @@ subroutine iceberg_step1(ice, mesh, partit, dynamics, ib, height_ib_single,lengt
 
   !-----------------------------
   ! LA 2022-11-30
-  if(cell_saturation > 0) then
+  if((cell_saturation>0) .and. (iceberg_elem.ne.old_element)) then
     if( lverbose_icb) then
-     write(*,*) " * checking for cell saturation - ib: ", ib, ", old_elem: ", old_element, ", new_elem: ", iceberg_elem
+     write(*,*) " * checking for cell saturation"
+     write(*,*) " * ib: ", ib, ", old_elem: ", old_element, ", new_elem: ", iceberg_elem
     end if
     select case(cell_saturation) !num of coastal points
      case(1) 
@@ -575,12 +576,11 @@ subroutine iceberg_step1(ice, mesh, partit, dynamics, ib, height_ib_single,lengt
 !$OMP END PARALLEL
   !-----------------------------
 
-    if ((area_ib_tot > elem_area_glob(iceberg_elem)) .and. (old_element.ne.0) .and. (iceberg_elem.ne.old_element)) then ! .and. (left_mype == 0)) then 
+    if ((area_ib_tot > elem_area_glob(iceberg_elem)) .and. (old_element.ne.0)) then ! .and. (left_mype == 0)) then 
         if( lverbose_icb) then
             write(*,*) " *******************************************************"
             write(*,*) " * set iceberg ", ib, " back to elem ", old_element, " from elem ", iceberg_elem
             write(*,*) " * area_ib_tot = ", area_ib_tot, "; elem_area = ", elem_area(local_idx_of(iceberg_elem))
-        
         end if
         i_have_element = .true.
         left_mype = 0.0
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ subroutine iceberg_step2(mesh, partit,arr, elem_from_block, ib, height_ib_single
            iceberg_elem = old_element
            u_ib    = 0.
            v_ib    = 0.
-   else if(cell_saturation > 0) then
+   else if((cell_saturation>0) .and. (iceberg_elem.ne.old_element)) then
      if (mype==0) write(*,*) 'iceberg ',ib, ' changed PE or was very fast'
      elem_area_tmp = elem_area_glob(iceberg_elem)
      select case(cell_saturation) !num of coastal points
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ subroutine iceberg_step2(mesh, partit,arr, elem_from_block, ib, height_ib_single
      end do
 !$OMP END DO
 !$OMP END PARALLEL
-     if((area_ib_tot > elem_area_tmp) .and. (elem_area_tmp > 0.0) .and. (iceberg_elem.ne.old_element)) then
+     if((area_ib_tot > elem_area_tmp) .and. (elem_area_tmp > 0.0)) then
          if(mype==pe_block_red(ib) .and. lverbose_icb) then
             write(*,*) " *******************************************************"
             write(*,*) " * iceberg changed PE and saturation"