diff --git a/sorc/chgres_cube.fd/surface.F90 b/sorc/chgres_cube.fd/surface.F90
index bde697fb1..c1e6698e1 100644
--- a/sorc/chgres_cube.fd/surface.F90
+++ b/sorc/chgres_cube.fd/surface.F90
@@ -2679,7 +2679,7 @@ subroutine nst_land_fill
  integer(esmf_kind_i8), pointer     :: mask_ptr(:,:)
  integer                            :: rc,i
  integer, PARAMETER                 :: num_nst_fields_minus2 = 16
- integer, PARAMETER                 :: xz_fill = 30.0
+ integer, PARAMETER                 :: xz_fill = 20.0
  integer, PARAMETER                 :: nst_fill = 0.0
 
  real(esmf_kind_r8), pointer        :: data_ptr(:,:)
@@ -2738,6 +2738,7 @@ subroutine nst_land_fill
 
  where(mask_ptr == 0) data_ptr = xz_fill ! all land
  where(fice_ptr > 0.0) data_ptr = xz_fill ! points with some ice
+ where(data_ptr > xz_fill ) data_ptr = xz_fill ! force xz = 20 when it is greater than 20 (due to fv3atm code change) 
 
  do i = 1,num_nst_fields_minus2
    
diff --git a/tests/chgres_cube/ftst_surface_nst_landfill.F90 b/tests/chgres_cube/ftst_surface_nst_landfill.F90
index 3228202bb..621daeba3 100644
--- a/tests/chgres_cube/ftst_surface_nst_landfill.F90
+++ b/tests/chgres_cube/ftst_surface_nst_landfill.F90
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ program surface_nst_landfill
                                -999.9, -999.9, -999.9, -999.9/),(/i_target,j_target/))
 
  xz_correct =        reshape((/-999.9, -999.9, -999.9, -999.9, &
-                               -999.9,   30.0,   30.0, -999.9, &
-                               -999.9,   30.0,   30.0, -999.9, &
+                               -999.9,   20.0,   20.0, -999.9, &
+                               -999.9,   20.0,   20.0, -999.9, &
                                -999.9, -999.9, -999.9, -999.9/),(/i_target,j_target/))
  
  nst_bundle = ESMF_FieldBundleCreate(name="nst_bundle", fieldlist= &