diff --git a/R/ncdf.R b/R/ncdf.R
index 7a977a56..56ff3042 100644
--- a/R/ncdf.R
+++ b/R/ncdf.R
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ read_ncdf = function(.x, ..., var = NULL, ncsub = NULL, curvilinear = character(
   
   # Create stars dimensions object
 
-  if(is.null(nc_dim <- dim(out_data[[1]]))) nc_dim <- dims$length
+  nc_dim <- dims$count
   
   dimensions <- create_dimensions(setNames(nc_dim, dims$name),
   								  raster)
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-ncdf.R b/tests/testthat/test-ncdf.R
index 374a9428..273305f5 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-ncdf.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-ncdf.R
@@ -313,9 +313,17 @@ test_that("axis attribute order -- see #680", {
 	
 	s2 <- suppressWarnings(stars::read_ncdf(file2))
 
-	expect_equal(names(stars::st_dimensions(s2)), c("lon", "lat", "time"))
+	d <- stars::st_dimensions(s2)
+	
+	expect_equal(names(d), c("lon", "lat", "time"))
 
+	expect_equal(d$time$to, 9)
+	
 	s3 <- suppressWarnings(stars::read_ncdf(file3))
 	
-	expect_equal(names(stars::st_dimensions(s3)), c("lon", "lat", "time"))
+	d <- stars::st_dimensions(s2)
+	
+	expect_equal(names(d), c("lon", "lat", "time"))
+	
+	expect_equal(d$time$to, 9)
 })