diff --git a/config_src/mct_driver/coupler_indices.F90 b/config_src/mct_driver/coupler_indices.F90
index 0021439726..0d3cbb4f93 100644
--- a/config_src/mct_driver/coupler_indices.F90
+++ b/config_src/mct_driver/coupler_indices.F90
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ module coupler_indices
   use MOM_grid,       only : ocean_grid_type
   use MOM_surface_forcing, only: ice_ocean_boundary_type
   ! MOM functions
-  use MOM_domains,    only : pass_var
+  use MOM_domains,    only : pass_var, AGRID
   use ocean_model_mod, only : ocean_public_type
 
   implicit none
@@ -332,36 +332,38 @@ subroutine fill_ice_ocean_bnd(ice_ocean_boundary, grid, x2o_o, ind)
         k = k + 1 ! Increment position within gindex
         ig = i + grid%idg_offset
         ! zonal wind stress (taux)
-        ice_ocean_boundary%u_flux(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_taux,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%u_flux(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_taux,k)
         ! meridional wind stress (tauy)
-        ice_ocean_boundary%v_flux(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_tauy,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%v_flux(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_tauy,k)
         ! sensible heat flux
-        ice_ocean_boundary%t_flux(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_sen,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%t_flux(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_sen,k)
         ! salt flux
-        ice_ocean_boundary%salt_flux(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Fioi_salt,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%salt_flux(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Fioi_salt,k)
         ! heat flux from snow & ice melt
-        ice_ocean_boundary%calving_hflx(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Fioi_melth,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%calving_hflx(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Fioi_melth,k)
         ! snow melt flux
-        ice_ocean_boundary%fprec(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Fioi_meltw,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%fprec(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Fioi_meltw,k)
         ! river runoff flux
-        ice_ocean_boundary%runoff(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_rofl,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%runoff(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_rofl,k)
         ! ice runoff flux
-        ice_ocean_boundary%calving(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_rofi,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%calving(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Foxx_rofi,k)
         ! liquid precipitation (rain)
-        ice_ocean_boundary%lprec(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Faxa_rain,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%lprec(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Faxa_rain,k)
         ! froze precipitation (snow)
-        ice_ocean_boundary%fprec(i,j) = x2o_o(ind%x2o_Faxa_snow,k)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%fprec(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(ind%x2o_Faxa_snow,k)
         !!!!!!! LONGWAVE NEEDS TO BE FIXED !!!!!!!
         ! longwave radiation (up)
-        ice_ocean_boundary%lw_flux(i,j) = x2o_o(k,ind%x2o_Foxx_lwup)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%lw_flux(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(k,ind%x2o_Foxx_lwup)
         ! longwave radiation (down)
-        ice_ocean_boundary%lw_flux(i,j) = x2o_o(k,ind%x2o_Faxa_lwdn)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%lw_flux(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(k,ind%x2o_Faxa_lwdn)
         !!!!!!! SHORTWAVE NEEDS TO BE COMBINED !!!!!!!
         ! net short-wave heat flux
-        ice_ocean_boundary%u_flux(i,j) = x2o_o(k,ind%x2o_Foxx_swnet)
+        ice_ocean_boundary%u_flux(ig,jg) = 0.0 ! x20_o(k,ind%x2o_Foxx_swnet)
       enddo
     enddo
 
+    ice_ocean_boundary%wind_stagger = AGRID
+
   end subroutine fill_ice_ocean_bnd
 
 end module coupler_indices
diff --git a/config_src/mct_driver/ocn_comp_mct.F90 b/config_src/mct_driver/ocn_comp_mct.F90
index 3f4081b945..a94b015811 100644
--- a/config_src/mct_driver/ocn_comp_mct.F90
+++ b/config_src/mct_driver/ocn_comp_mct.F90
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ module ocn_comp_mct
   use MOM_grid,           only: ocean_grid_type, get_global_grid_size
   use MOM_variables,      only: surface
   use MOM_error_handler,  only: MOM_error, FATAL, is_root_pe
-  use MOM_time_manager,   only: time_type, set_date, set_calendar_type, NOLEAP
+  use MOM_time_manager,   only: time_type, set_date, set_time, set_calendar_type, NOLEAP
   use coupler_indices,    only: coupler_indices_init, cpl_indices
   use coupler_indices,    only: ocn_export, fill_ice_ocean_bnd
 !
@@ -313,9 +313,11 @@ subroutine ocn_init_mct( EClock, cdata_o, x2o_o, o2x_o, NLFilename )
   ! Size of global domain
   call get_global_grid_size(glb%grid, ni, nj)
 
-  ! allocate ice_ocean_boundary
-  isc = glb%grid%isc; iec = glb%grid%iec;
-  jsc = glb%grid%jsc; jec = glb%grid%jec;
+  ! Allocate ice_ocean_boundary using global indexing without halos
+  isc = glb%grid%isc + glb%grid%idg_offset
+  iec = glb%grid%iec + glb%grid%idg_offset
+  jsc = glb%grid%jsc + glb%grid%jdg_offset
+  jec = glb%grid%jec + glb%grid%jdg_offset
   allocate(glb%ice_ocean_boundary%u_flux(isc:iec,jsc:jec));          glb%ice_ocean_boundary%u_flux(:,:) = 0.0
   allocate(glb%ice_ocean_boundary%v_flux(isc:iec,jsc:jec));          glb%ice_ocean_boundary%v_flux(:,:) = 0.0
   allocate(glb%ice_ocean_boundary%t_flux(isc:iec,jsc:jec));          glb%ice_ocean_boundary%t_flux(:,:) = 0.0
@@ -392,6 +394,7 @@ subroutine ocn_run_mct( EClock, cdata_o, x2o_o, o2x_o)
   if (debug .and. is_root_pe()) then
     write(6,*) 'ocn_run_mct, time step: y,m,d-',year,month,day,'s,sn,sd=',seconds,seconds_n,seconds_d
   endif
+  coupling_timestep = set_time(seconds, days=day, err_msg=err_msg)
 
   ! set (actually, get from mct) the cdata pointers:
   ! \todo this was done in _init_, is it needed again. Does this infodata need to be in glb%?
@@ -406,8 +409,8 @@ subroutine ocn_run_mct( EClock, cdata_o, x2o_o, o2x_o)
   call fill_ice_ocean_bnd(glb%ice_ocean_boundary, glb%grid, x2o_o%rattr, glb%ind)
   if (debug .and. is_root_pe()) write(6,*) 'fill_ice_ocean_bnd'
 
-!  call update_ocean_model(glb%ice_ocean_boundary, glb%ocn_state, glb%ocn_public, &
-!                          time_start, coupling_timestep)
+  call update_ocean_model(glb%ice_ocean_boundary, glb%ocn_state, glb%ocn_public, &
+                          time_start, coupling_timestep)
 
   end subroutine ocn_run_mct