diff --git a/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/mom/no_stoch_physics/user_nl_mom b/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/mom/no_stoch_physics/user_nl_mom
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..320c93aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/mom/no_stoch_physics/user_nl_mom
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+DO_SKEB=False
+SKEB_USE_GM=False
+SKEB_USE_FRICT=False
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/param_templates/input_nml.yaml b/param_templates/input_nml.yaml
index d5a950bf..36442a2c 100644
--- a/param_templates/input_nml.yaml
+++ b/param_templates/input_nml.yaml
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ mpp_io_nml:
 nam_stochy:
     stochini:
         values:
-          $CONTINUE_RUN == True: .true.
+          $CONTINUE_RUN == True or $RUN_TYPE == "branch": .true.
           else: .false.
     new_lscale:
         values: .true.
diff --git a/param_templates/json/input_nml.json b/param_templates/json/input_nml.json
index fe795a5e..08157cdc 100644
--- a/param_templates/json/input_nml.json
+++ b/param_templates/json/input_nml.json
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
    "nam_stochy": {
       "stochini": {
          "values": {
-            "$CONTINUE_RUN == True": ".true.",
+            "$CONTINUE_RUN == True or $RUN_TYPE == \"branch\"": ".true.",
             "else": ".false."
          }
       },