diff --git a/scripts/exgdas_global_marine_analysis_run.sh b/scripts/exgdas_global_marine_analysis_run.sh
index 682204f4a..3e938df37 100755
--- a/scripts/exgdas_global_marine_analysis_run.sh
+++ b/scripts/exgdas_global_marine_analysis_run.sh
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ function clean_yaml()
 
 ################################################################################
 # run 3DVAR FGAT
+cp var.yaml var_original.yaml
 clean_yaml var.yaml
 $APRUN_OCNANAL $JEDI_BIN/soca_var.x var.yaml
 export err=$?; err_chk
diff --git a/scripts/exgdas_global_marine_analysis_vrfy.py b/scripts/exgdas_global_marine_analysis_vrfy.py
index 33699f1d3..04f56afd5 100755
--- a/scripts/exgdas_global_marine_analysis_vrfy.py
+++ b/scripts/exgdas_global_marine_analysis_vrfy.py
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ def plot_zonal_slice(config):
 
 evadir = os.path.join(HOMEgfs, 'sorc', f'{RUN}.cd', 'ush', 'eva')
 marinetemplate = os.path.join(evadir, 'marine_gdas_plots.yaml')
-varyaml = os.path.join(comout, 'yaml', 'var.yaml')
+varyaml = os.path.join(comout, 'yaml', 'var_original.yaml')
 
 # it would be better to refrence the dirs explicitly with the comout path
 # but eva doesn't allow for specifying output directories
diff --git a/test/soca/gw/CMakeLists.txt b/test/soca/gw/CMakeLists.txt
index 4b48c7b6a..bf4b77155 100644
--- a/test/soca/gw/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/soca/gw/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ set(jjob_list "JGDAS_GLOBAL_OCEAN_ANALYSIS_PREP"
 #              "JGDAS_GLOBAL_OCEAN_ANALYSIS_BMAT_VRFY"
               "JGDAS_GLOBAL_OCEAN_ANALYSIS_RUN"
               "JGDAS_GLOBAL_OCEAN_ANALYSIS_CHKPT"
-              "JGDAS_GLOBAL_OCEAN_ANALYSIS_POST")
-#              "JGDAS_GLOBAL_OCEAN_ANALYSIS_VRFY")
+              "JGDAS_GLOBAL_OCEAN_ANALYSIS_POST"
+              "JGDAS_GLOBAL_OCEAN_ANALYSIS_VRFY")
 
 set(setup "")
 foreach(jjob ${jjob_list})
diff --git a/ush/diag_statistics.py b/ush/diag_statistics.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 8068a8c81..5ccb3ab25
--- a/ush/diag_statistics.py
+++ b/ush/diag_statistics.py
@@ -31,8 +31,13 @@ def get_diag_stats():
         zipfilename = diagfilename + '.gz'
         outfilename = 'cnvstat.' + var + '.gdas.' + pdy + cyc + '.csv'
 
-        with tarfile.open(os.path.join(comout, tarfilename), "r") as tf:
-            tf.extract(member=zipfilename)
+        try:
+            with tarfile.open(os.path.join(comout, tarfilename), "r") as tf:
+                tf.extract(member=zipfilename)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            print('WARNING: file', os.path.join(comout, tarfilename),
+                  'not found, this is expected in GDASApp ctests')
+            return
         with gzip.open(zipfilename, 'rb') as f_in:
             with open(diagfilename, 'wb') as f_out:
                 shutil.copyfileobj(f_in, f_out)
diff --git a/ush/soca/run_jjobs.py b/ush/soca/run_jjobs.py
index 4b4e623be..30700ef99 100755
--- a/ush/soca/run_jjobs.py
+++ b/ush/soca/run_jjobs.py
@@ -138,8 +138,10 @@ def _conda_envs(self, jjob):
         """
         if self.machine != "container":
             if jjob in ENVS:
-                # TODO: This does nothing for now. Make the conda activate work!
-                self.f.write(f"# conda activate {ENVS[jjob]} \n")
+                # set +/-u is a workaround for an apparent conda bug
+                self.f.write(f"set +u \n")
+                self.f.write(f"conda activate {ENVS[jjob]} \n")
+                self.f.write(f"set -u \n")
 
     def precom(self, com, tmpl):
         cmd = f"RUN={self.RUN} YMD={self.gPDY} HH={self.gcyc} generate_com -xr {com}:{tmpl}"