diff --git a/config_src/drivers/nuopc_cap/mom_cap.F90 b/config_src/drivers/nuopc_cap/mom_cap.F90
index fab6fe1f55..fa67418187 100644
--- a/config_src/drivers/nuopc_cap/mom_cap.F90
+++ b/config_src/drivers/nuopc_cap/mom_cap.F90
@@ -1928,7 +1928,9 @@ end subroutine ModelAdvance
 
 subroutine ModelSetRunClock(gcomp, rc)
 
-  use ESMF, only : ESMF_TimeIntervalSet
+  use ESMF, only : ESMF_TimeIntervalSet, ESMF_Config
+  use ESMF, only : ESMF_ConfigCreate, ESMF_ConfigDestroy, ESMF_ConfigLoadFile, &
+                   ESMF_ConfigGetLen, ESMF_ConfigGetAttribute
 
   type(ESMF_GridComp)  :: gcomp
   integer, intent(out) :: rc
@@ -1952,8 +1954,9 @@ subroutine ModelSetRunClock(gcomp, rc)
   logical                  :: isPresent, isSet
   logical                  :: first_time = .true.
   integer                  :: localPet
-  integer                  :: n, nfh
-  integer, allocatable     :: restart_fh(:)
+  integer                  :: n, nfh, fh_s
+  real(kind=ESMF_KIND_R8), allocatable :: restart_fh(:)
+  type(ESMF_Config)        :: CF_mc
   character(len=*),parameter :: subname='(MOM_cap:ModelSetRunClock) '
   !--------------------------------
 
@@ -2099,38 +2102,43 @@ subroutine ModelSetRunClock(gcomp, rc)
     call ESMF_LogWrite("Stop Alarm will ring at : "//trim(timestr), ESMF_LOGMSG_INFO)
 
     ! set up Times to write non-interval restarts
-    call NUOPC_CompAttributeGet(gcomp, name='restart_fh', isPresent=isPresent, isSet=isSet, rc=rc)
-    if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
-    if (isPresent .and. isSet) then
-
-      call ESMF_TimeIntervalGet(dtimestep, s=dt_cpl, rc=rc)
-      if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
-      call NUOPC_CompAttributeGet(gcomp, name='restart_fh', value=cvalue, rc=rc)
+    inquire(FILE='model_configure', EXIST=isPresent)
+    if (isPresent) then !model_configure exists. this is ufs run
+      CF_mc = ESMF_ConfigCreate(rc=rc)
+      call ESMF_ConfigLoadFile(config=CF_mc,filename='model_configure' ,rc=rc)
       if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
 
-      ! convert string to a list of integer restart_fh values
-      nfh = 1 + count(transfer(trim(cvalue), 'a', len(cvalue)) == ",")
-      allocate(restart_fh(1:nfh))
-      allocate(restartFhTimes(1:nfh))
-      read(cvalue,*)restart_fh(1:nfh)
-
-      ! create a list of times at each restart_fh
-      do n = 1,nfh
-        call ESMF_TimeIntervalSet(fhInterval, h=restart_fh(n), rc=rc)
+      nfh = ESMF_ConfigGetLen(config=CF_mc, label ='restart_fh:',rc=rc)
+      if (nfh .gt. 0) then
+        call ESMF_TimeIntervalGet(dtimestep, s=dt_cpl, rc=rc)
         if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
-        restartFhTimes(n) = mcurrtime + fhInterval
-        call ESMF_TimePrint(restartFhTimes(n), options="string", preString="Restart_Fh at ", unit=timestr, rc=rc)
+        allocate(restart_fh(1:nfh))
+        allocate(restartFhTimes(1:nfh)) !not deallocated
+
+        call ESMF_ConfigGetAttribute(CF_mc,valueList=restart_fh,label='restart_fh:', rc=rc)
         if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
-        if (localPet == 0) then
-          if (mod(3600*restart_fh(n),dt_cpl) /= 0) then
-            write(stdout,'(A)')trim(subname)//trim(timestr)//' will not be written'
-          else
-            write(stdout,'(A)')trim(subname)//trim(timestr)//' will be written'
+        ! create a list of times at each restart_fh
+        do n = 1,nfh
+          fh_s = NINT(3600*restart_fh(n))
+          call ESMF_TimeIntervalSet(fhInterval, s=fh_s, rc=rc)
+          if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
+          restartFhTimes(n) = mcurrTime + fhInterval
+          call ESMF_TimePrint(restartFhTimes(n), options="string", &
+                              preString="restart_fh at ", unit=timestr, rc=rc)
+          if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
+          if (localPet==0) then
+            if (mod(fh_s,dt_cpl) /= 0) then
+              write(stdout,'(A)')trim(subname)//trim(timestr)//' will not be written'
+            else
+              write(stdout,'(A)')trim(subname)//trim(timestr)//' will be written'
+            end if
           end if
-        end if
-      end do
-      deallocate(restart_fh)
-    end if
+        end do
+        deallocate(restart_fh)
+      end if !nfh>0
+      call ESMF_ConfigDestroy(CF_mc, rc=rc)
+      if (ChkErr(rc,__LINE__,u_FILE_u)) return
+    end if !model_configure
 
     first_time = .false.
   endif