diff --git a/tests/WE2E/run_WE2E_tests.py b/tests/WE2E/run_WE2E_tests.py
index d12691da10..66df2e8205 100755
--- a/tests/WE2E/run_WE2E_tests.py
+++ b/tests/WE2E/run_WE2E_tests.py
@@ -173,6 +173,10 @@ def run_we2e_tests(homedir, args) -> None:
             test_cfg['task_get_extrn_lbcs'] = check_task_get_extrn_lbcs(test_cfg,machine_defaults,config_defaults)
             logging.debug(test_cfg['task_get_extrn_lbcs'])
 
+        if 'verification' in test_cfg:
+            logging.debug(test_cfg['verification'])
+        test_cfg['verification'] = check_task_verification(test_cfg,machine_defaults,config_defaults)
+        logging.debug(test_cfg['verification'])
 
         logging.debug(f"Writing updated config.yaml for test {test_name}\nbased on specified command-line arguments:\n")
         logging.debug(cfg_to_yaml_str(test_cfg))
@@ -395,6 +399,53 @@ def check_task_get_extrn_lbcs(cfg: dict, mach: dict, dflt: dict) -> dict:
 
     return cfg_lbcs
 
+def check_task_verification(cfg: dict, mach: dict, dflt: dict) -> dict:
+    """
+    Function for checking and updating various settings in verification section of test config yaml
+
+    Args:
+        cfg  : Dictionary loaded from test config file
+        mach : Dictionary loaded from machine settings file
+        dflt : Dictionary loaded from default config file
+    Returns:
+        cfg_vx : Updated dictionary for verification section of test config
+    """
+
+    # Make our lives easier by shortening some dictionary calls
+    if 'verification' in cfg:
+        cfg_vx = cfg['verification']
+    else:
+        cfg_vx = dict()
+
+    # If VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR is already explicitly set in the test configuration
+    # dictionary, keep that value and just return.
+    if 'VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR' in cfg_vx:
+        return cfg_vx
+
+    # Attempt to obtain the values of RUN_TASK_RUN_FCST, WRITE_DO_POST, and RUN_TASK_RUN_POST
+    # from the test configuration dictionary.  If not available there, get them from the default 
+    # configuration dictionary.
+    flags = {'RUN_TASK_RUN_FCST': False, 'WRITE_DOPOST': False, 'RUN_TASK_RUN_POST': False}
+    for section in ['workflow_switches', 'task_run_fcst']:
+        for flag in flags:
+            if (section in cfg) and (flag in cfg[section]):
+                flags[flag] = cfg[section][flag]
+            elif flag in dflt[section]:
+                flags[flag] = dflt[section][flag]
+
+    # If UPP is going to be run (either in-line or as a separate set of tasks), set the
+    # VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR to the default directory for the experiment.  Otherwise, set
+    # it to the value of TEST_VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR in the machine file.
+    if (flags['RUN_TASK_RUN_FCST'] and flags['WRITE_DOPOST']) or flags['RUN_TASK_RUN_POST']:
+        cfg_vx['VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR'] = dflt['workflow']['EXPTDIR']
+    else:
+        if 'TEST_VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR' in mach['platform']:
+            cfg_vx['VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR'] = mach['platform']['TEST_VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR']
+        else:
+            raise KeyError(f"Non-default forecast file location for verification (TEST_VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR) not set in machine file")
+
+    return cfg_vx
+
 def setup_logging(logfile: str = "log.run_WE2E_tests", debug: bool = False) -> None:
     """
     Sets up logging, printing high-priority (INFO and higher) messages to screen, and printing all
diff --git a/tests/WE2E/test_configs/verification/config.MET_verification_only_vx.yaml b/tests/WE2E/test_configs/verification/config.MET_verification_only_vx.yaml
index 8421ee39dd..9b93553ee1 100644
--- a/tests/WE2E/test_configs/verification/config.MET_verification_only_vx.yaml
+++ b/tests/WE2E/test_configs/verification/config.MET_verification_only_vx.yaml
@@ -30,22 +30,24 @@ workflow_switches:
   RUN_TASK_RUN_POST: false
 #
 # This test assumes the observation files are staged.  Thus, deactivate
-# the GET_OBS_... tasks and instead specify the obs staging directories.
+# the GET_OBS_... tasks.  Note we do not specify the obs staging directories
+# (CCPA_OBS_DIR, MRMS_OBS_DIR, and NDAS_OBS_DIR) because those will be
+# automatically set (in a platform-dependent way using the machine file)
+# by the script that runs this test.
 #
   RUN_TASK_GET_OBS_CCPA: false
-  CCPA_OBS_DIR: '/scratch2/BMC/det/Gerard.Ketefian/UFS_CAM/DTC_ensemble_task/staged/obs/ccpa/proc'
   RUN_TASK_GET_OBS_MRMS: false
-  MRMS_OBS_DIR: '/scratch2/BMC/det/Gerard.Ketefian/UFS_CAM/DTC_ensemble_task/staged/obs/mrms/proc'
   RUN_TASK_GET_OBS_NDAS: false
-  NDAS_OBS_DIR: '/scratch2/BMC/det/Gerard.Ketefian/UFS_CAM/DTC_ensemble_task/staged/obs/ndas/proc'
 #
 # Turn on verification tasks.
 #
   RUN_TASK_VX_GRIDSTAT: true
   RUN_TASK_VX_POINTSTAT: true
-verification:
-  VX_FCST_MODEL_NAME: FV3_GFS_v15p2_CONUS_25km
 #
-# Since the forecast files are staged, specify the base staging directory.
+# In the "verification" section below, we don't explicitly set the location 
+# of the staged forecast files (specified by VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR) because
+# this location gets set automatically (in a platform-dependent way using
+# the appropriate machine file) by the script that runs this test.
 #
-  VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR: '/scratch2/BMC/det/Gerard.Ketefian/UFS_CAM/DTC_ensemble_task/staged/fcst_det'
+verification:
+  VX_FCST_MODEL_NAME: FV3_GFS_v15p2_CONUS_25km
diff --git a/ush/config_defaults.yaml b/ush/config_defaults.yaml
index d3f0abaf7e..283c855f3f 100644
--- a/ush/config_defaults.yaml
+++ b/ush/config_defaults.yaml
@@ -352,6 +352,7 @@ platform:
   TEST_PREGEN_BASEDIR: ""
   TEST_ALT_EXTRN_MDL_SYSBASEDIR_ICS: ""
   TEST_ALT_EXTRN_MDL_SYSBASEDIR_LBCS: ""
+  TEST_VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR: ""
   #
   #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   #
@@ -484,7 +485,7 @@ workflow:
   EXPT_BASEDIR: '' # This will be set in setup.py prior to extend_yaml() being called
   EXPT_SUBDIR: '{{ EXPT_SUBDIR }}'
   EXEC_SUBDIR: "exec"
-  EXPTDIR: '{{ [EXPT_BASEDIR, EXPT_SUBDIR]|path_join }}'
+  EXPTDIR: '{{ [workflow.EXPT_BASEDIR, workflow.EXPT_SUBDIR]|path_join }}'
   #
   #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   #
@@ -2604,28 +2605,27 @@ global:
   #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   #
   HALO_BLEND: 10
+  #
+  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+  #
 
 #----------------------------
 # verification parameters
-#----------------------------
+#
+# VX_FCST_MODEL_NAME:
+# String that specifies a descriptive name for the model being verified.
+# This is used in forming the names of the verification output files as
+# well as in the contents of those files.
+#
+# VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR:
+# Location of top-level directory containing forecast (but not obs) files
+# that will be used as input into METplus for verification.  If not
+# specified, this gets set to EXPTDIR.
+#
+#-----------------------------
 verification:
-  #
-  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-  #
-  # VX_FCST_MODEL_NAME:
-  # String that specifies a descriptive name for the model being verified.
-  # This is used in forming the names of the verification output files as
-  # well as in the contents of those files.
-  #
-  # VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR:
-  # Location of top-level directory containing forecast (but not obs) files
-  # that will be used as input into METplus for verification.  If not
-  # specified, this gets set to EXPTDIR.
-  #
-  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-  #
   VX_FCST_MODEL_NAME: '{{ nco.NET }}.{{ task_run_post.POST_OUTPUT_DOMAIN_NAME }}'
-  VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR: '{{ workflow.EXPTDIR }}'
+  VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR: '{{ workflow.EXPTDIR if ((workflow_switches.RUN_TASK_RUN_FCST and task_run_fcst.WRITE_DOPOST) or workflow_switches.RUN_TASK_RUN_POST) }}'
 
 #----------------------------
 # CPL_AQM config parameters
diff --git a/ush/machine/hera.yaml b/ush/machine/hera.yaml
index eec7b38d91..d45d3a1478 100644
--- a/ush/machine/hera.yaml
+++ b/ush/machine/hera.yaml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ platform:
   TEST_PREGEN_BASEDIR: /scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_App/develop/FV3LAM_pregen
   TEST_ALT_EXTRN_MDL_SYSBASEDIR_ICS: /scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_app/develop/dummy_FV3GFS_sys_dir
   TEST_ALT_EXTRN_MDL_SYSBASEDIR_LBCS: /scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_app/develop/dummy_FV3GFS_sys_dir
+  TEST_VX_FCST_INPUT_BASEDIR: '/scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_App/develop/output_data/fcst_det/{{workflow.PREDEF_GRID_NAME}}'
   FIXaer: /scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_App/develop/fix/fix_aer
   FIXgsm: /scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_App/develop/fix/fix_am
   FIXlut: /scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_App/develop/fix/fix_lut
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ platform:
   FIXsfc: /scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_App/develop/fix/fix_sfc_climo
   FIXshp: /scratch2/BMC/det/UFS_SRW_App/develop/NaturalEarth
   EXTRN_MDL_DATA_STORES: hpss aws nomads
+
 data:
   obs:
     RAP_obs: /scratch2/BMC/public/data/grids/rap/obs