diff --git a/src/core/MOM.F90 b/src/core/MOM.F90
index e6cd3cf747..b696213e1b 100644
--- a/src/core/MOM.F90
+++ b/src/core/MOM.F90
@@ -2799,10 +2799,10 @@ subroutine initialize_MOM(Time, Time_init, param_file, dirs, CS, &
   CS%time_in_cycle = 0.0 ; CS%time_in_thermo_cycle = 0.0
 
   !allocate porous topography variables
-  allocate(CS%pbv%por_face_areaU(IsdB:IedB,jsd:jed,nz)) ; CS%pbv%por_face_areaU(:,:,:) = 1.0
-  allocate(CS%pbv%por_face_areaV(isd:ied,JsdB:JedB,nz)) ; CS%pbv%por_face_areaV(:,:,:) = 1.0
-  allocate(CS%pbv%por_layer_widthU(IsdB:IedB,jsd:jed,nz+1)) ; CS%pbv%por_layer_widthU(:,:,:) = 1.0
-  allocate(CS%pbv%por_layer_widthV(isd:ied,JsdB:JedB,nz+1)) ; CS%pbv%por_layer_widthV(:,:,:) = 1.0
+  allocate(CS%pbv%por_face_areaU(IsdB:IedB,jsd:jed,nz), source=1.0)
+  allocate(CS%pbv%por_face_areaV(isd:ied,JsdB:JedB,nz), source=1.0)
+  allocate(CS%pbv%por_layer_widthU(IsdB:IedB,jsd:jed,nz+1), source=1.0)
+  allocate(CS%pbv%por_layer_widthV(isd:ied,JsdB:JedB,nz+1), source=1.0)
 
   ! Use the Wright equation of state by default, unless otherwise specified
   ! Note: this line and the following block ought to be in a separate
diff --git a/src/core/MOM_porous_barriers.F90 b/src/core/MOM_porous_barriers.F90
index 8f872ceb15..e24d4954cb 100644
--- a/src/core/MOM_porous_barriers.F90
+++ b/src/core/MOM_porous_barriers.F90
@@ -122,16 +122,20 @@ subroutine porous_widths_layer(h, tv, G, GV, US, pbv, CS, eta_bt)
       A_layer_prev(I,j) = A_layer
     endif ; enddo ; enddo ; enddo
   else
-    do k=nk,1,-1 ; do j=js,je ; do I=Isq,Ieq ; if (do_I(I,j)) then
-      call calc_por_layer(G%porous_DminU(I,j), G%porous_DmaxU(I,j), G%porous_DavgU(I,j), &
-                          eta_u(I,j,K), A_layer, do_I(I,j))
-      if (eta_u(I,j,K) - (eta_u(I,j,K+1)+dz_min) > 0.0) then
-        pbv%por_face_areaU(I,j,k) = min(1.0, (A_layer - A_layer_prev(I,j)) / (eta_u(I,j,K) - eta_u(I,j,K+1)))
+    do k=nk,1,-1 ; do j=js,je ; do I=Isq,Ieq
+      if (do_I(I,j)) then
+        call calc_por_layer(G%porous_DminU(I,j), G%porous_DmaxU(I,j), G%porous_DavgU(I,j), &
+                            eta_u(I,j,K), A_layer, do_I(I,j))
+        if (eta_u(I,j,K) - (eta_u(I,j,K+1)+dz_min) > 0.0) then
+          pbv%por_face_areaU(I,j,k) = min(1.0, (A_layer - A_layer_prev(I,j)) / (eta_u(I,j,K) - eta_u(I,j,K+1)))
+        else
+          pbv%por_face_areaU(I,j,k) = 0.0 ! use calc_por_interface() might be a better choice
+        endif
+        A_layer_prev(I,j) = A_layer
       else
-        pbv%por_face_areaU(I,j,k) = 0.0 ! use calc_por_interface() might be a better choice
+        pbv%por_face_areaU(I,j,k) = 1.0
       endif
-      A_layer_prev(I,j) = A_layer
-    endif ; enddo ; enddo ; enddo
+    enddo ; enddo ; enddo
   endif
 
   ! v-points
@@ -154,16 +158,20 @@ subroutine porous_widths_layer(h, tv, G, GV, US, pbv, CS, eta_bt)
       A_layer_prev(i,J) = A_layer
     endif ; enddo ; enddo ; enddo
   else
-    do k=nk,1,-1 ; do J=Jsq,Jeq ; do i=is,ie ; if (do_I(i,J)) then
-      call calc_por_layer(G%porous_DminV(i,J), G%porous_DmaxV(i,J), G%porous_DavgV(i,J), &
-                          eta_v(i,J,K), A_layer, do_I(i,J))
-      if (eta_v(i,J,K) - (eta_v(i,J,K+1)+dz_min) > 0.0) then
-        pbv%por_face_areaV(i,J,k) = min(1.0, (A_layer - A_layer_prev(i,J)) / (eta_v(i,J,K) - eta_v(i,J,K+1)))
+    do k=nk,1,-1 ; do J=Jsq,Jeq ; do i=is,ie
+      if (do_I(i,J)) then
+        call calc_por_layer(G%porous_DminV(i,J), G%porous_DmaxV(i,J), G%porous_DavgV(i,J), &
+                            eta_v(i,J,K), A_layer, do_I(i,J))
+        if (eta_v(i,J,K) - (eta_v(i,J,K+1)+dz_min) > 0.0) then
+          pbv%por_face_areaV(i,J,k) = min(1.0, (A_layer - A_layer_prev(i,J)) / (eta_v(i,J,K) - eta_v(i,J,K+1)))
+        else
+          pbv%por_face_areaV(i,J,k) = 0.0 ! use calc_por_interface() might be a better choice
+        endif
+        A_layer_prev(i,J) = A_layer
       else
-        pbv%por_face_areaV(i,J,k) = 0.0 ! use calc_por_interface() might be a better choice
+        pbv%por_face_areaV(i,J,k) = 1.0
       endif
-      A_layer_prev(i,J) = A_layer
-    endif ; enddo ; enddo ; enddo
+    enddo ; enddo ; enddo
   endif
 
   if (CS%debug) then
@@ -231,10 +239,14 @@ subroutine porous_widths_interface(h, tv, G, GV, US, pbv, CS, eta_bt)
                               eta_u(I,j,K), pbv%por_layer_widthU(I,j,K), do_I(I,j))
    endif ; enddo ; enddo ; enddo
   else
-    do K=1,nk+1 ; do j=js,je ; do I=Isq,Ieq ; if (do_I(I,j)) then
-      call calc_por_interface(G%porous_DminU(I,j), G%porous_DmaxU(I,j), G%porous_DavgU(I,j), &
-                              eta_u(I,j,K), pbv%por_layer_widthU(I,j,K), do_I(I,j))
-    endif ; enddo ; enddo ; enddo
+    do K=1,nk+1 ; do j=js,je ; do I=Isq,Ieq
+      if (do_I(I,j)) then
+        call calc_por_interface(G%porous_DminU(I,j), G%porous_DmaxU(I,j), G%porous_DavgU(I,j), &
+                                eta_u(I,j,K), pbv%por_layer_widthU(I,j,K), do_I(I,j))
+      else
+        pbv%por_layer_widthU(I,j,K) = 1.0
+      endif
+    enddo ; enddo ; enddo
   endif
 
   ! v-points
@@ -249,10 +261,14 @@ subroutine porous_widths_interface(h, tv, G, GV, US, pbv, CS, eta_bt)
                               eta_v(i,J,K), pbv%por_layer_widthV(i,J,K), do_I(i,J))
     endif ; enddo ; enddo ; enddo
   else
-    do K=1,nk+1 ; do J=Jsq,Jeq ; do i=is,ie ; if (do_I(i,J)) then
-      call calc_por_interface(G%porous_DminV(i,J), G%porous_DmaxV(i,J), G%porous_DavgV(i,J), &
-                              eta_v(i,J,K), pbv%por_layer_widthV(i,J,K), do_I(i,J))
-    endif ; enddo ; enddo ; enddo
+    do K=1,nk+1 ; do J=Jsq,Jeq ; do i=is,ie
+      if (do_I(i,J)) then
+        call calc_por_interface(G%porous_DminV(i,J), G%porous_DmaxV(i,J), G%porous_DavgV(i,J), &
+                                eta_v(i,J,K), pbv%por_layer_widthV(i,J,K), do_I(i,J))
+      else
+        pbv%por_layer_widthV(i,J,K) = 1.0
+      endif
+    enddo ; enddo ; enddo
   endif
 
   if (CS%debug) then
diff --git a/src/core/MOM_variables.F90 b/src/core/MOM_variables.F90
index 5b7740230a..65e915705a 100644
--- a/src/core/MOM_variables.F90
+++ b/src/core/MOM_variables.F90
@@ -323,7 +323,6 @@ module MOM_variables
 end type BT_cont_type
 
 !> Container for grids modifying cell metric at porous barriers
-! TODO: rename porous_barrier_type to porous_barrier_type
 type, public :: porous_barrier_type
   ! Each of the following fields has nz layers.
   real, allocatable :: por_face_areaU(:,:,:) !< fractional open area of U-faces [nondim]
diff --git a/src/initialization/MOM_fixed_initialization.F90 b/src/initialization/MOM_fixed_initialization.F90
index ea45e0cc2f..f54eb8a638 100644
--- a/src/initialization/MOM_fixed_initialization.F90
+++ b/src/initialization/MOM_fixed_initialization.F90
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ subroutine MOM_initialize_fixed(G, US, OBC, PF, write_geom, output_dir)
   endif
 
   ! Read sub-grid scale topography parameters at velocity points used for porous barrier calculation
+  ! TODO: The following routine call may eventually be merged as one of the CHANNEL_CONFIG options
   call get_param(PF, mdl, "SUBGRID_TOPO_AT_VEL", read_porous_file, &
                  "If true, use variables from TOPO_AT_VEL_FILE as parameters for porous barrier.", &
                  default=.False.)