diff --git a/src/LIB/SURCOUCHE/src/mode_netcdf.f90 b/src/LIB/SURCOUCHE/src/mode_netcdf.f90
index 49d0b1499f5b2feac88d18d7723366e6c84f5f0d..0198c2fc8fe16ed2fd443228e5f699ee24467100 100644
--- a/src/LIB/SURCOUCHE/src/mode_netcdf.f90
+++ b/src/LIB/SURCOUCHE/src/mode_netcdf.f90
@@ -938,7 +938,7 @@ ELSE
    COUNT = 1
    TMP  => PIOCDF%DIMLIST
    DO WHILE(ASSOCIATED(TMP))
-      IF (TMP%LEN == KLEN .AND. TMP%NAME /= 'STRLEN') EXIT
+      IF (TMP%LEN == KLEN .AND. TMP%NAME(1:4) /= 'char') EXIT
       TMP=>TMP%NEXT
       COUNT = COUNT+1
    END DO