diff --git a/ccpp/data/GFS_typedefs.F90 b/ccpp/data/GFS_typedefs.F90
index c8550890c..79c8512ba 100644
--- a/ccpp/data/GFS_typedefs.F90
+++ b/ccpp/data/GFS_typedefs.F90
@@ -1259,6 +1259,7 @@ module GFS_typedefs
     real(kind=kind_phys) :: betascu         !< Tuning parameter for prog. closure shallow clouds
     real(kind=kind_phys) :: betamcu         !< Tuning parameter for prog. closure midlevel clouds 
     real(kind=kind_phys) :: betadcu         !< Tuning parameter for prog. closure deep clouds 
+    logical              :: sigmab_coldstart !< flag to cold start sigmab
 
     !--- MYNN parameters/switches
     logical              :: do_mynnedmf
@@ -3793,6 +3794,7 @@ subroutine control_initialize (Model, nlunit, fn_nml, me, master, &
     real(kind=kind_phys) :: betascu           = 8.0 !< Tuning parameter for prog. closure shallow clouds
     real(kind=kind_phys) :: betamcu           = 1.0 !< Tuning parameter for prog. closure midlevel clouds
     real(kind=kind_phys) :: betadcu           = 2.0 !< Tuning parameter for prog. closure deep clouds
+    logical              :: sigmab_coldstart  = .false. !< flag to cold start sigmab
     ! *DH
     logical              :: do_myjsfc         = .false.               !< flag for MYJ surface layer scheme
     logical              :: do_myjpbl         = .false.               !< flag for MYJ PBL scheme
@@ -4147,6 +4149,7 @@ subroutine control_initialize (Model, nlunit, fn_nml, me, master, &
                                do_myjsfc, do_myjpbl,                                        &
                                hwrf_samfdeep, hwrf_samfshal,progsigma,betascu,betamcu,      &
                                betadcu,h2o_phys, pdfcld, shcnvcw, redrag, hybedmf, satmedmf,&
+                               sigmab_coldstart,                                            &
                                shinhong, do_ysu, dspheat, lheatstrg, lseaspray, cnvcld,     &
                                xr_cnvcld, random_clds, shal_cnv, imfshalcnv, imfdeepcnv,    &
                                isatmedmf, conv_cf_opt, do_deep, jcap,                       &
@@ -4976,6 +4979,7 @@ subroutine control_initialize (Model, nlunit, fn_nml, me, master, &
     Model%betascu = betascu
     Model%betamcu = betamcu
     Model%betadcu = betadcu
+    Model%sigmab_coldstart = sigmab_coldstart 
 
     if (oz_phys .and. oz_phys_2015) then
        write(*,*) 'Logic error: can only use one ozone physics option (oz_phys or oz_phys_2015), not both. Exiting.'
@@ -7010,6 +7014,7 @@ subroutine control_print(Model)
       print *, 'betascu            : ', Model%betascu
       print *, 'betamcu            : ', Model%betamcu
       print *, 'betadcu            : ', Model%betadcu
+      print *, 'sigmab_coldstart   : ', Model%sigmab_coldstart
       print *, ' '
       print *, 'cellular automata'
       print *, ' nca               : ', Model%nca
diff --git a/ccpp/data/GFS_typedefs.meta b/ccpp/data/GFS_typedefs.meta
index 91b84de60..140fa4f70 100644
--- a/ccpp/data/GFS_typedefs.meta
+++ b/ccpp/data/GFS_typedefs.meta
@@ -5681,6 +5681,12 @@
   dimensions = ()
   type = real
   kind = kind_phys
+[sigmab_coldstart]
+  standard_name = flag_to_cold_start_for_sigmab_init
+  long_name = flag to cold start for sigmab initialization
+  units = flag
+  dimensions = ()
+  type = logical
 [isatmedmf]
   standard_name = choice_of_scale_aware_TKE_moist_EDMF_PBL
   long_name = choice of scale-aware TKE moist EDMF PBL scheme
diff --git a/ccpp/physics b/ccpp/physics
index eed555181..df7379703 160000
--- a/ccpp/physics
+++ b/ccpp/physics
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit eed555181aaa7ed59cfb5c1cfa6a470f63bf8280
+Subproject commit df7379703da3d48ebc06c2d9ce82a7ffbce7a82d
diff --git a/io/fv3atm_history_io.F90 b/io/fv3atm_history_io.F90
index 6fe537e04..9bd102d22 100644
--- a/io/fv3atm_history_io.F90
+++ b/io/fv3atm_history_io.F90
@@ -187,8 +187,7 @@ subroutine history_type_register(hist, Diag, Time, Atm_block, Model, xlon, xlat,
     hist%fhzero = Model%fhzero
     !   hist%ncld   = Model%ncld
     hist%ncld   = Model%imp_physics
-    hist%nsoil  = Model%lsoil
-    hist%nsoil_lsm  = Model%lsoil_lsm
+    hist%nsoil  = Model%lsoil_lsm
     hist%dtp    = Model%dtp
     hist%imp_physics  = Model%imp_physics
     hist%landsfcmdl  = Model%lsm