diff --git a/src/arome/aux/mode_fill_dimphyexn.F90 b/src/arome/aux/mode_fill_dimphyexn.F90
index 433d98a0b3ea7bc00e75b1874c119619074ed546..4fd9eb5f052734c7afeec83792cb641050290090 100644
--- a/src/arome/aux/mode_fill_dimphyexn.F90
+++ b/src/arome/aux/mode_fill_dimphyexn.F90
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ YDDIMPHYEX%NJT=KJT
 YDDIMPHYEX%NJB=1
 YDDIMPHYEX%NJE=KJT
 !
+YDDIMPHYEX%NIJT=KIT*KJT
+!
 YDDIMPHYEX%NKL=-1
 YDDIMPHYEX%NKT=KKT
 YDDIMPHYEX%NKA=KKT
diff --git a/src/common/aux/modd_dimphyexn.F90 b/src/common/aux/modd_dimphyexn.F90
index d7493616a103843aaa48c917a9abab65b8d2f587..b734113c78ea48c8ccad4ba1b5fa46222b906566 100644
--- a/src/common/aux/modd_dimphyexn.F90
+++ b/src/common/aux/modd_dimphyexn.F90
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ TYPE DIMPHYEX_t
   INTEGER :: NJBC  ! = NIB/NJC/NIE/NJE in all schemes
   INTEGER :: NIEC  ! except in turbulence where external HALO points must be
   INTEGER :: NJEC  ! included so NIBC=NJBC=1 and NIEC/NJEC=NIT/NJT
+  INTEGER :: NIJT  ! NIT*NJT for horizontal packing
 !
 END TYPE DIMPHYEX_t
 !
diff --git a/src/mesonh/aux/mode_fill_dimphyexn.F90 b/src/mesonh/aux/mode_fill_dimphyexn.F90
index 351c96d49720d56cab26f73ac1808854602d9b04..621482309c48e604dd727d010b4db39867d16dc3 100644
--- a/src/mesonh/aux/mode_fill_dimphyexn.F90
+++ b/src/mesonh/aux/mode_fill_dimphyexn.F90
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ IF (LHOOK) CALL DR_HOOK('FILL_DIMPHYEX', 0, ZHOOK_HANDLE)
 !
 YDDIMPHYEX%NIT=KIT
 YDDIMPHYEX%NJT=KJT
+YDDIMPHYEX%NIJT=KIT*KJT
 CALL GET_INDICE_ll(YDDIMPHYEX%NIB, YDDIMPHYEX%NJB,&
                   &YDDIMPHYEX%NIE, YDDIMPHYEX%NJE)
 !