diff --git a/diagnostics/MJO_suite/daily_netcdf.ncl b/diagnostics/MJO_suite/daily_netcdf.ncl
index 566f5b1a8..e90dc8a68 100644
--- a/diagnostics/MJO_suite/daily_netcdf.ncl
+++ b/diagnostics/MJO_suite/daily_netcdf.ncl
@@ -17,6 +17,36 @@ begin
   end if
 end ; procedure debug_print
 
+undef("check_date_format")
+function check_date_format(date_in,date_type,routine_name,debug)
+begin
+  if (date_in.lt.1.e4) then  ; input just YYYY, need to add MMDDHH
+    if (date_type.eq."start") then  
+      date_suffix = 101*100
+    else if (date_type.eq."end") then  
+      date_suffix = 1231*10
+      else 
+        print("ERROR: "+routine_name+" No date_type given to function check_date_format")
+      end if
+    end if
+    
+    debug_print("Incoming "+date_type+" date YYYY format: "+date_in,routine_name,debug)
+    date_out = date_in*1000000+ date_suffix
+    debug_print("Corrected "+date_type+" date to:"+date_out,routine_name,debug)
+
+  else
+    if (date_in .lt. 100000000) ; YYYYMMDD
+      debug_print("Incoming "+date_type+" date YYYYMMDD format: "+date_in,routine_name,debug)
+      date_out = date_in*100 ;; HH = 00
+      debug_print("Corrected "+date_type+" date to:"+date_out,routine_name,debug)
+    else
+      debug_print("Found start date format YYYYMMDDHH: "+yr,routine_name,debug)
+      date_out = date_in
+    end if ; YYYYMMDD
+  end if ; YYYY
+
+  return date_out
+end ; function check_date_format
 
 begin
 ; read daily output files from CAM2 and process the data
@@ -63,12 +93,10 @@ nd = dimsizes(time_all)
 i2 = nd(0) - 1
 debug_print("Time range in file: "+time_all(0)+" -"+time_all(i2),routine_name,debug)
 
-  ; in hours to match cd_calendar/ut_calendar output YYYYMMDDHH
-  ; uses 18 hrs for endtime since 6-hourly is the most high res we expect
-  ; should still work for daily, just finds YYYY123100
-  start_time = yr1*1000000+101*100
-  end_time = yr2*1000000+1231*100+18
-  debug_print("Time range requested: "+start_time+" "+end_time,routine_name,debug)
+; Check if date came in as YYYYMMDD or YYYY (historic)
+start_time = check_date_format(yr1,"start",routine_name,debug)
+end_time   = check_date_format(yr2,"end",routine_name,debug)
+
   tol = 24  ; 24 hours tolerance allows for different time resolutions
   do i=0,dimsizes(time_all)-1
 ;     debug_print("examining times "+i+" "+time_all(i),routine_name,debug)
@@ -108,8 +136,7 @@ if (  isMonotonic(date) .ne. 1 ) then
    exit  ; exit on error
 end if
 
-; DRB: used to do pr, rlut separately. Folding them into the loop instead.
-; **here first just use read_model_file for pr here, then put into var loop below
+; First just use read_model_file for pr here, then put into var loop below
 ; precipitation rate (pr)
 print("daily_netcdf.ncl reading "+file_pr+" for making precip file!")
 
diff --git a/src/preprocessor.py b/src/preprocessor.py
index 275076666..3dc7322a1 100644
--- a/src/preprocessor.py
+++ b/src/preprocessor.py
@@ -927,13 +927,17 @@ def crop_date_range(self, case_date_range: util.DateRange, xr_ds, time_coord) ->
         date_range_cf_start = self.cast_to_cftime(case_date_range.start.lower, cal)
         date_range_cf_end = self.cast_to_cftime(case_date_range.end.lower, cal)
 
+        # dataset has no overlap with the user-specified date range
         if ds_start < date_range_cf_start and ds_end < date_range_cf_start or \
                 ds_end > date_range_cf_end and ds_start > date_range_cf_end:
             new_xr_ds = None
         # dataset falls entirely within user-specified date range
         elif ds_start >= date_range_cf_start and ds_end <= date_range_cf_end:
             new_xr_ds = xr_ds.sel({time_coord.name: slice(ds_start, ds_end)})
-        # dataset overlaps user-specified date range start
+        # dataset overlaps user-specified date range start (corrected)
+        elif ds_start <= date_range_cf_start <= ds_end <= date_range_cf_end:
+            new_xr_ds = xr_ds.sel({time_coord.name: slice(date_range_cf_start, ds_end)})
+        # dataset overlaps user-specified date range start (orig)
         elif date_range_cf_start < ds_start and \
                 date_range_cf_start <= ds_end <= date_range_cf_end:
             new_xr_ds = xr_ds.sel({time_coord.name: slice(date_range_cf_start, ds_end)})
@@ -943,6 +947,12 @@ def crop_date_range(self, case_date_range: util.DateRange, xr_ds, time_coord) ->
         # dataset contains all of requested date range
         elif date_range_cf_start >= ds_start and date_range_cf_end <= ds_end:
             new_xr_ds = xr_ds.sel({time_coord.name: slice(date_range_cf_start, date_range_cf_end)})
+        else:
+            print(f'ERROR: new_xr_ds is unset because of incompatibility of time:')
+            print(f'       Dataset   start: {ds_start=}')
+            print(f'       Dataset   end  : {ds_end=}')
+            print(f'       Requested start: {date_range_cf_start=}')
+            print(f'       Requested end  : {date_range_cf_end=}')
 
         return new_xr_ds