diff --git a/src/soca/Fields/soca_fields_metadata_mod.F90 b/src/soca/Fields/soca_fields_metadata_mod.F90
index fd317241c..c6dc793e9 100644
--- a/src/soca/Fields/soca_fields_metadata_mod.F90
+++ b/src/soca/Fields/soca_fields_metadata_mod.F90
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ module soca_fields_metadata_mod
   character(len=:),  allocatable :: io_file  !< the restart file domain (ocn, sfc, ice)
   character(len=:),  allocatable :: io_name  !< the name use in the restart IO
   character(len=:),  allocatable :: property  !< physical property of the field, "none" or "positive_definite"
+  logical                        :: vert_interp   !< true if the field can be vertically interpolated
 end type
 
 
@@ -106,6 +107,15 @@ subroutine soca_fields_metadata_create(self, filename)
     if(.not. conf_list(i)%get("property", str)) str = "none"
     self%metadata(i)%property = str
 
+    if(.not. conf_list(i)%get("vert interp", bool)) then
+       if (self%metadata(i)%levels == "1" ) then
+          bool = .false.
+       else
+          bool = .true.
+       end if
+    end if
+    self%metadata(i)%vert_interp = bool
+
   end do
 
   ! check for duplicates
diff --git a/src/soca/Fields/soca_fields_mod.F90 b/src/soca/Fields/soca_fields_mod.F90
index 98f8e42f0..49218cbbf 100644
--- a/src/soca/Fields/soca_fields_mod.F90
+++ b/src/soca/Fields/soca_fields_mod.F90
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ module soca_fields_mod
                         datetime_create, datetime_diff
 use duration_mod, only: duration, duration_to_string
 use fckit_configuration_module, only: fckit_configuration
+use fckit_log_module, only: fckit_log
 use fckit_mpi_module, only: fckit_mpi_min, fckit_mpi_max, fckit_mpi_sum
 use kinds, only: kind_real
 use oops_variables_mod, only: oops_variables
@@ -361,7 +362,7 @@ subroutine soca_field_stencil_interp(self, geom, fromto)
            ! source point on land, skip
            if (masksrc_local(ij(1,sti), ij(2,sti)) == 0_kind_real) cycle
 
-           ! outcroping of layers, skip 
+           ! outcroping of layers, skip
            if (abs(self%val(ij(1,sti), ij(2,sti),1)) > val_max) cycle
 
            ! store the valid neighbors
@@ -969,6 +970,42 @@ subroutine soca_fields_read(self, f_conf, vdate)
     isc = self%geom%isc ; iec = self%geom%iec
     jsc = self%geom%jsc ; jec = self%geom%jec
 
+    ! Remap layers if needed
+    if (vert_remap) then
+
+      ! output log of  what fields are going to be interpolated vertically
+      do n=1,size(self%fields)
+        if (.not. self%fields(n)%metadata%vert_interp) cycle
+        call fckit_log%info("vertically remapping "//trim(self%fields(n)%name))
+      end do
+
+      allocate(h_common_ij(nz), hocn_ij(nz), varocn_ij(nz), varocn2_ij(nz))
+      call initialize_remapping(remapCS,'PCM')
+      do i = isc, iec
+        do j = jsc, jec
+          h_common_ij = h_common(i,j,:)
+          hocn_ij = hocn%val(i,j,:)
+
+          do n=1,size(self%fields)
+            field => self%fields(n)
+            ! TODO Vertical remapping is only valid if the field is on the tracer grid point.
+            if (.not. field%metadata%vert_interp) cycle
+            if (associated(field%mask) .and. field%mask(i,j).eq.1) then
+               varocn_ij = field%val(i,j,:)
+               call remapping_core_h(remapCS, nz, h_common_ij, varocn_ij,&
+                      &nz, hocn_ij, varocn2_ij)
+               field%val(i,j,:) = varocn2_ij
+            else
+               field%val(i,j,:) = 0.0_kind_real
+            end if
+          end do
+        end do
+      end do
+      hocn%val = h_common
+      deallocate(h_common_ij, hocn_ij, varocn_ij, varocn2_ij)
+      call end_remapping(remapCS)
+    end if
+
     ! Initialize mid-layer depth from layer thickness
     if (self%has("layer_depth")) then
       call self%get("layer_depth", layer_depth)
@@ -992,38 +1029,6 @@ subroutine soca_fields_read(self, f_conf, vdate)
       end do
     end if
 
-    ! Remap layers if needed
-    if (vert_remap) then
-      allocate(h_common_ij(nz), hocn_ij(nz), varocn_ij(nz), varocn2_ij(nz))
-      call initialize_remapping(remapCS,'PCM')
-      do i = isc, iec
-        do j = jsc, jec
-          h_common_ij = h_common(i,j,:)
-          hocn_ij = hocn%val(i,j,:)
-
-          do n=1,size(self%fields)
-            field => self%fields(n)
-            select case(field%name)
-            ! TODO remove hardcoded variable names here
-            ! TODO Add u and v. Remapping u and v will require interpolating h
-            case ('tocn','socn')
-              if (associated(field%mask) .and. field%mask(i,j).eq.1) then
-                varocn_ij = field%val(i,j,:)
-                call remapping_core_h(remapCS, nz, h_common_ij, varocn_ij,&
-                      &nz, hocn_ij, varocn2_ij)
-                field%val(i,j,:) = varocn2_ij
-              else
-                field%val(i,j,:) = 0.0_kind_real
-              end if
-            end select
-          end do
-        end do
-      end do
-      hocn%val = h_common
-      deallocate(h_common_ij, hocn_ij, varocn_ij, varocn2_ij)
-      call end_remapping(remapCS)
-    end if
-
     ! Update halo
     do n=1,size(self%fields)
       field => self%fields(n)
diff --git a/test/Data/fields_metadata.yml b/test/Data/fields_metadata.yml
index 371bed01d..e2807aeab 100644
--- a/test/Data/fields_metadata.yml
+++ b/test/Data/fields_metadata.yml
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
   getval name: sea_water_cell_thickness
   io file: ocn
   io name: h
+  vert interp: false
 
 - name: ssh
   getval name: sea_surface_height_above_geoid
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@
 
 - name: layer_depth
   levels: full_ocn
+  vert interp: false
 
 - name: mesoscale_representation_error