diff --git a/src/MNH/ini_modeln.f90 b/src/MNH/ini_modeln.f90
index 24650fdae5afd0c151c7ca07baeed0d265e89370..2d81ad2b5d816dc3b1c07af42069ece9976fad73 100644
--- a/src/MNH/ini_modeln.f90
+++ b/src/MNH/ini_modeln.f90
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ USE MODE_INI_TURB,          ONLY: INI_TURB
 USE MODE_IO
 USE MODE_IO_FIELD_READ,     only: IO_Field_read
 USE MODE_IO_FILE,           only: IO_File_open
-USE MODE_IO_MANAGE_STRUCT,  only: IO_Bakout_struct_prepare, IO_File_add2list
+USE MODE_IO_MANAGE_STRUCT,  only: IO_File_add2list
 USE MODE_ll
 USE MODE_MODELN_HANDLER
 USE MODE_MPPDB
@@ -2990,7 +2990,4 @@ ELSE
  ALLOCATE(XSSRFL_C(0,0,0))
 END IF
 !
-! The output/backups times have been read only by model 1
-IF ( CPROGRAM == 'MESONH' .AND. KMI == 1 ) CALL IO_Bakout_struct_prepare( 1, XSEGLEN )
-
 END SUBROUTINE INI_MODEL_n
diff --git a/src/MNH/init_mnh.f90 b/src/MNH/init_mnh.f90
index e230430d6c83c9732e7e5572bfda200960f9e6f1..cca18f4416ada3991846d251bbd4465502b45240 100644
--- a/src/MNH/init_mnh.f90
+++ b/src/MNH/init_mnh.f90
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-!MNH_LIC Copyright 1994-2023 CNRS, Meteo-France and Universite Paul Sabatier
+!MNH_LIC Copyright 1994-2024 CNRS, Meteo-France and Universite Paul Sabatier
 !MNH_LIC This is part of the Meso-NH software governed by the CeCILL-C licence
 !MNH_LIC version 1. See LICENSE, CeCILL-C_V1-en.txt and CeCILL-C_V1-fr.txt
 !MNH_LIC for details. version 1.
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
 !*       0.    DECLARATIONS
 !              ------------
 USE MODD_CONF
+USE MODD_DYN,   ONLY: XSEGLEN
 USE MODD_DYN_n, ONLY: CPRESOPT, NITR ! only for spawning purpose
 USE MODD_IO,    ONLY: TFILE_OUTPUTLISTING, TPTR2FILE
 USE MODD_LBC_n, ONLY: CLBCX,CLBCY   ! only for spawning purpose
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ USE MODD_PARAMETERS
 use mode_field,            only: Alloc_field_scalars, Fieldlist_goto_model
 USE MODE_INI_CST,          ONLY: INI_CST
 USE MODE_IO_FILE,          ONLY: IO_File_open
-USE MODE_IO_MANAGE_STRUCT, ONLY: IO_File_add2list
+USE MODE_IO_MANAGE_STRUCT, ONLY: IO_Bakout_struct_prepare, IO_File_add2list
 USE MODE_ll
 USE MODE_MODELN_HANDLER
 USE MODE_SPLITTINGZ_ll
@@ -235,6 +236,10 @@ DO JMI=1,NMODEL
   END IF  
 END DO
 !
+! Prepare the characteristics of the backup and output files
+! This has to be done once INI_MODEL_n has been done for ALL models
+IF ( CPROGRAM == 'MESONH' ) CALL IO_Bakout_struct_prepare( 1, XSEGLEN )
+!
 !-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 !
 !*       5.    WRITE MESSAGE ON OUTPUT-LISTING