diff --git a/tests/WE2E/monitor_jobs.py b/tests/WE2E/monitor_jobs.py
index 9e34a87264..8fbd4f2afb 100755
--- a/tests/WE2E/monitor_jobs.py
+++ b/tests/WE2E/monitor_jobs.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def monitor_jobs(expt_dict: dict, monitor_file: str = '', debug: bool = False) -
     logging.info("Checking tests available for monitoring...")
     for expt in expt_dict:
         logging.info(f"Starting experiment {expt} running")
-        expt_dict[expt] = update_expt_status(expt_dict[expt], expt)
+        expt_dict[expt] = update_expt_status(expt_dict[expt], expt, True)
 
     write_monitor_file(monitor_file,expt_dict)
 
@@ -81,11 +81,11 @@ def monitor_jobs(expt_dict: dict, monitor_file: str = '', debug: bool = False) -
     endtime = datetime.now()
     total_walltime = endtime - starttime
 
-    logging.info(f'All {num_expts} experiments finished in {str(total_walltime)}')
+    logging.info(f'All {len(expt_dict)} experiments finished in {str(total_walltime)}')
 
     return monitor_file
 
-def update_expt_status(expt: dict, name: str) -> dict:
+def update_expt_status(expt: dict, name: str, refresh: bool = False) -> dict:
     """
     This function reads the dictionary showing the location of a given experiment, runs a
     `rocotorun` command to update the experiment (running new jobs and updating the status of
@@ -121,15 +121,18 @@ def update_expt_status(expt: dict, name: str) -> dict:
              to ensure there are no un-submitted jobs. We will no longer monitor this experiment.
 
     Args:
-        expt (dict): A dictionary containing the information for an individual experiment, as
-                     described in the main monitor_jobs() function.
-        name  (str): [optional]
+        expt    (dict):    A dictionary containing the information for an individual experiment, as
+                           described in the main monitor_jobs() function.
+        name     (str):    Name of the experiment; used for logging only
+        refresh (bool):    If true, this flag will check an experiment status even if it is listed
+                           as DEAD, ERROR, or COMPLETE. Used for initial checks for experiments
+                           that may have been restarted.
     Returns:
         dict: The updated experiment dictionary.
     """
 
     #If we are no longer tracking this experiment, return unchanged
-    if expt["status"] in ['DEAD','ERROR','COMPLETE']:
+    if (expt["status"] in ['DEAD','ERROR','COMPLETE']) and not refresh:
         return expt
 
     # Update experiment, read rocoto database
diff --git a/tests/WE2E/run_WE2E_tests.py b/tests/WE2E/run_WE2E_tests.py
index dc472f8333..d12691da10 100755
--- a/tests/WE2E/run_WE2E_tests.py
+++ b/tests/WE2E/run_WE2E_tests.py
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ def run_we2e_tests(homedir, args) -> None:
     run_envir = args.run_envir
     machine = args.machine.lower()
 
+    # Check for invalid input
+    if run_envir:
+        if run_envir not in ['nco', 'community']:
+            raise KeyError(f"Invalid 'run_envir' provided: {run_envir}")
+
     # If args.tests is a list of length more than one, we assume it is a list of test names
     if len(args.tests) > 1:
         tests_to_check=args.tests
@@ -134,6 +139,10 @@ def run_we2e_tests(homedir, args) -> None:
         test_cfg['user'].update({"ACCOUNT": args.account})
         if run_envir:
             test_cfg['user'].update({"RUN_ENVIR": run_envir})
+            if run_envir == "nco":
+                if 'nco' not in test_cfg:
+                    test_cfg['nco'] = dict()
+                test_cfg['nco'].update({"model_ver": "we2e"})
         # if platform section was not in input config, initialize as empty dict
         if 'platform' not in test_cfg:
             test_cfg['platform'] = dict()
@@ -170,7 +179,7 @@ def run_we2e_tests(homedir, args) -> None:
         with open(ushdir + "/config.yaml","w") as f:
             f.writelines(cfg_to_yaml_str(test_cfg))
 
-        logging.debug(f"Calling workflow generation function for test {test_name}\n")
+        logging.info(f"Calling workflow generation function for test {test_name}\n")
         if args.quiet:
             console_handler = logging.getLogger().handlers[1]
             console_handler.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
diff --git a/ush/setup.py b/ush/setup.py
index b5955e580e..fcd13ce262 100644
--- a/ush/setup.py
+++ b/ush/setup.py
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ def load_config_for_setup(ushdir, default_config, user_config):
             raise Exception(
                 dedent(
                     f"""
-                            Date variable {val}={cfg_d['user'][val]} is not in a valid date format.
+                            Date variable {val}={cfg_d['workflow'][val]} is not in a valid date format.
 
                             For examples of valid formats, see the Users' Guide.
                             """