diff --git a/internal_tests/pytests/command_builder/test_command_builder.py b/internal_tests/pytests/command_builder/test_command_builder.py
index 98aed81ffd..e0a79733af 100644
--- a/internal_tests/pytests/command_builder/test_command_builder.py
+++ b/internal_tests/pytests/command_builder/test_command_builder.py
@@ -833,3 +833,29 @@ def test_add_met_config_dict_nested(metplus_config):
     cbw.add_met_config_dict(dict_name, items)
     print(f"env_var_dict: {cbw.env_var_dict}")
     assert cbw.env_var_dict.get('METPLUS_OUTER_DICT') == expected_value
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'extra, expected_value', [
+        # trailing semi-colon should be added at end automatically
+        ('file_type = NETCDF_NCCF',
+         "'name=\"name\"; level=\"(*,*)\"; file_type = NETCDF_NCCF;'"),
+        ('file_type = NETCDF_NCCF;',
+         "'name=\"name\"; level=\"(*,*)\"; file_type = NETCDF_NCCF;'"),
+        ('file_type = NETCDF_NCCF; other_opt = "opt"',
+         "'name=\"name\"; level=\"(*,*)\"; file_type = NETCDF_NCCF; other_opt = \"opt\";'"),
+    ]
+)
+def test_get_field_info_extra(metplus_config, extra, expected_value):
+    d_type = 'FCST'
+    name = 'name'
+    level = '"(*,*)"'
+    config = metplus_config()
+    wrapper = CommandBuilder(config)
+    actual_value = wrapper.get_field_info(
+        d_type=d_type,
+        v_name=name,
+        v_level=level,
+        v_extra=extra,
+        add_curly_braces=False
+    )[0]
+    assert actual_value == expected_value
diff --git a/internal_tests/pytests/util/string_manip/test_util_string_manip.py b/internal_tests/pytests/util/string_manip/test_util_string_manip.py
index 8678831f3c..0442ecc72f 100644
--- a/internal_tests/pytests/util/string_manip/test_util_string_manip.py
+++ b/internal_tests/pytests/util/string_manip/test_util_string_manip.py
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ def test_remove_quotes(before, after):
         # 12: list with square braces and ending semi-colon (MET format) no quotes
         ('[MET_BASE/poly/LMV.poly];',
          ["MET_BASE/poly/LMV.poly"]),
+        # 13: single item ending with semi-colon should keep semi-colon
+        ('file_type = NETCDF_NCCF;',
+         ["file_type = NETCDF_NCCF;"]),
+        # 14: list with line break at beginning
+        ('\nsome_value,\n some_other_value',
+         ["some_value", "some_other_value"]),
     ]
 )
 def test_getlist(string_list, output_list):
diff --git a/metplus/util/diff_util.py b/metplus/util/diff_util.py
index 8c59539052..1de442caac 100644
--- a/metplus/util/diff_util.py
+++ b/metplus/util/diff_util.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def compare_files(filepath_a, filepath_b, debug=False, dir_a=None, dir_b=None,
     if not os.path.exists(filepath_b):
         if debug:
             print(f"ERROR: File does not exist: {filepath_b}")
-        return (filepath_a, '', 'file not found', '')
+        return (filepath_a, '', 'file not found (in truth but missing now)', '')
 
     file_type = get_file_type(filepath_a)
     if file_type.startswith('skip'):
diff --git a/metplus/util/string_manip.py b/metplus/util/string_manip.py
index af1d719016..c0d1042f7f 100644
--- a/metplus/util/string_manip.py
+++ b/metplus/util/string_manip.py
@@ -33,8 +33,15 @@ def getlist(list_str, expand_begin_end_incr=True):
     if not list_str:
         return []
 
-    # FIRST remove surrounding comma, and spaces, form the string.
-    list_str = list_str.strip(';[] ').strip().strip(',').strip()
+    # remove surrounding comma and spaces from the string
+    list_str = list_str.strip(', ').strip()
+
+    # remove trailing semi-colon IF found after []s
+    if list_str.endswith('];'):
+        list_str = list_str.strip('; ').strip()
+
+    # remove [ from start (left) and ] from end (right)
+    list_str = list_str.lstrip('[ ').rstrip('] ').strip()
 
     # remove space around commas
     list_str = re.sub(r'\s*,\s*', ',', list_str)
diff --git a/metplus/wrappers/command_builder.py b/metplus/wrappers/command_builder.py
index bec31ba318..05b66f89bb 100755
--- a/metplus/wrappers/command_builder.py
+++ b/metplus/wrappers/command_builder.py
@@ -1234,7 +1234,11 @@ def get_field_info(self, d_type='', v_name='', v_level='', v_thresh=None,
 
             # handle extra options if set
             if v_extra:
-                field += f' {v_extra}'
+                extra = v_extra.strip()
+                # if trailing semi-colon is not found, add it
+                if not extra.endswith(';'):
+                    extra = f"{extra};"
+                field += f' {extra}'
 
             # add curly braces around field info
             if add_curly_braces: