diff --git a/model/src/ww3_ounp.F90 b/model/src/ww3_ounp.F90
index aa70f42d0..d673775ab 100644
--- a/model/src/ww3_ounp.F90
+++ b/model/src/ww3_ounp.F90
@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ PROGRAM W3OUNP
   !
 #ifdef W3_MPI
   CALL MPI_INIT      ( IERR_MPI )
+  MPI_COMM_WW3=MPI_COMM_WORLD !< MPI_COMM_WW3
   CALL MPI_COMM_SIZE ( MPI_COMM_WW3, NAPROC, IERR_MPI )
   CALL MPI_COMM_RANK ( MPI_COMM_WW3, IAPROC, IERR_MPI )
   IAPROC = IAPROC + 1  ! this is to have IAPROC between 1 and NAPROC
diff --git a/model/src/ww3_prnc.F90 b/model/src/ww3_prnc.F90
index ee347659e..2646e0ea4 100644
--- a/model/src/ww3_prnc.F90
+++ b/model/src/ww3_prnc.F90
@@ -444,6 +444,7 @@ PROGRAM W3PRNC
   !
 #ifdef W3_MPI
   CALL MPI_INIT      ( IERR_MPI )
+  MPI_COMM_WW3=MPI_COMM_WORLD !< MPI_COMM_WW3
   CALL MPI_COMM_SIZE ( MPI_COMM_WW3, NAPROC, IERR_MPI )
   CALL MPI_COMM_RANK ( MPI_COMM_WW3, IAPROC, IERR_MPI )
   IAPROC = IAPROC + 1  ! this is to have IAPROC between 1 and NAPROC
diff --git a/model/src/ww3_prtide.F90 b/model/src/ww3_prtide.F90
index 0da03424a..65f68569c 100644
--- a/model/src/ww3_prtide.F90
+++ b/model/src/ww3_prtide.F90
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ PROGRAM W3PRTIDE
   !
 #ifdef W3_MPI
   CALL MPI_INIT      ( IERR_MPI )
+  MPI_COMM_WW3=MPI_COMM_WORLD !< MPI_COMM_WW3
   CALL MPI_COMM_SIZE ( MPI_COMM_WW3, NAPROC, IERR_MPI )
   CALL MPI_COMM_RANK ( MPI_COMM_WW3, IAPROC, IERR_MPI )
   IAPROC = IAPROC + 1  ! this is to have IAPROC between 1 and NAPROC
diff --git a/model/src/ww3_strt.F90 b/model/src/ww3_strt.F90
index 9202792da..9f22c49f3 100644
--- a/model/src/ww3_strt.F90
+++ b/model/src/ww3_strt.F90
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ PROGRAM W3STRT
   !
 #ifdef W3_MPI
   CALL MPI_INIT      ( IERR_MPI )
+  MPI_COMM_WW3=MPI_COMM_WORLD !< MPI_COMM_WW3
   CALL MPI_COMM_SIZE ( MPI_COMM_WW3, NAPROC, IERR_MPI )
   CALL MPI_COMM_RANK ( MPI_COMM_WW3, IAPROC, IERR_MPI )
   IAPROC = IAPROC + 1
diff --git a/model/src/ww3_systrk.F90 b/model/src/ww3_systrk.F90
index 7f63a2e33..5ba131eb0 100644
--- a/model/src/ww3_systrk.F90
+++ b/model/src/ww3_systrk.F90
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ PROGRAM WW3_SYSTRK
   !     Start of parallel region
   CALL MPI_INIT(ierr)
 
+  MPI_COMM_WW3=MPI_COMM_WORLD !< MPI_COMM_WW3
+
   CALL MPI_COMM_RANK(MPI_COMM_WW3, rank, ierr)
   CALL MPI_COMM_SIZE(MPI_COMM_WW3, nproc, ierr)