diff --git a/bld/CLMBuildNamelist.pm b/bld/CLMBuildNamelist.pm
index f4d60e481b..94777d320d 100755
--- a/bld/CLMBuildNamelist.pm
+++ b/bld/CLMBuildNamelist.pm
@@ -2589,11 +2589,8 @@ sub setup_logic_initial_conditions {
   $nl_flags->{'excess_ice_on_finidat'} = "unknown";
   if ( $nl_flags->{'clm_start_type'} =~ /cold/ ) {
     if (defined $finidat && !&value_is_true(($nl->get_value('use_fates')))) {
-      $log->warning("setting $var (either explicitly in your user_nl_clm or by doing a hybrid or branch RUN_TYPE)\n is incomptable with using a cold start" .
+      $log->fatal_error("setting $var (either explicitly in your user_nl_clm or by doing a hybrid or branch RUN_TYPE)\n is incompatible with using a cold start" .
               " (by setting CLM_FORCE_COLDSTART=on)." );
-      $log->warning("Overridding input $var file with one specifying that this is a cold start from arbitrary initial conditions." );
-      my $group = $definition->get_group_name($var);
-      $nl->set_variable_value($group, $var, "' '" );
     }
     add_default($opts,  $nl_flags->{'inputdata_rootdir'}, $definition, $defaults, $nl,
                 $var, 'val'=>"' '", 'no_abspath'=>1);