diff --git a/cicecore/drivers/nuopc/cmeps/ice_mesh_mod.F90 b/cicecore/drivers/nuopc/cmeps/ice_mesh_mod.F90
index a9b19df6b..601e59c7c 100644
--- a/cicecore/drivers/nuopc/cmeps/ice_mesh_mod.F90
+++ b/cicecore/drivers/nuopc/cmeps/ice_mesh_mod.F90
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ subroutine ice_mesh_check(gcomp, ice_mesh, rc)
 
     ! Check CICE mesh
 
-    use ice_constants, only : c1,c0,c360
+    use ice_constants, only : c1,c0,c180,c360
     use ice_grid     , only : tlon, tlat, hm
 
     ! input/output parameters
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ subroutine ice_mesh_check(gcomp, ice_mesh, rc)
     real(dbl_kind)               :: diff_lon
     real(dbl_kind)               :: diff_lat
     real(dbl_kind)               :: rad_to_deg
-    real(dbl_kind)               :: tmplon, eps_imesh
+    real(dbl_kind)               :: eps_imesh
     logical                      :: isPresent, isSet
     logical                      :: mask_error
     integer                      :: mask_internal
@@ -637,19 +637,19 @@ subroutine ice_mesh_check(gcomp, ice_mesh, rc)
              lon(n) = tlon(i,j,iblk)*rad_to_deg
              lat(n) = tlat(i,j,iblk)*rad_to_deg
 
-             tmplon = lon(n)
-             if(tmplon < c0)tmplon = tmplon + c360
-
              ! error check differences between internally generated lons and those read in
-             diff_lon = abs(mod(lonMesh(n) - tmplon,360.0))
-             if (diff_lon > eps_imesh ) then
-                write(6,100)n,lonMesh(n),tmplon, diff_lon
-                !call abort_ice(error_message=subname, file=__FILE__, line=__LINE__)
+             diff_lon = mod(abs(lonMesh(n) - lon(n)),360.0)
+             if (diff_lon > c180) then
+               diff_lon = diff_lon - c360
+             endif
+             if (abs(diff_lon) > eps_imesh ) then
+                write(6,100)n,lonMesh(n),lon(n), diff_lon
+                call abort_ice(error_message=subname, file=__FILE__, line=__LINE__)
              end if
              diff_lat = abs(latMesh(n) - lat(n))
              if (diff_lat > eps_imesh) then
                 write(6,101)n,latMesh(n),lat(n), diff_lat
-                !call abort_ice(error_message=subname, file=__FILE__, line=__LINE__)
+                call abort_ice(error_message=subname, file=__FILE__, line=__LINE__)
              end if
           enddo
        enddo