diff --git a/components/elm/src/main/pftvarcon.F90 b/components/elm/src/main/pftvarcon.F90
index dcbe3e7846aa..2986a8221f64 100644
--- a/components/elm/src/main/pftvarcon.F90
+++ b/components/elm/src/main/pftvarcon.F90
@@ -1036,6 +1036,15 @@ subroutine pftconrd
     if (.not. readv ) bendresist(:) = 1._r8
     call ncd_io('vegshape', vegshape, 'read', ncid, readvar=readv, posNOTonfile=.true.)
     if (.not. readv ) vegshape(:) = 1._r8
+   ! check validity
+    do i = 0, npft -1
+      if (bendresist(i) .gt. 1.0_r8 .or. bendresist(i) .le. 0._r8) then
+         call endrun(msg="Non-physical selection of bendresist parameter for pft", i//errMsg(__FILE__, __LINE__))
+      end if
+      if (vegshape(i) .gt. 2.0_r8 .or. vegshape(i) .le. 0_r8) then
+         call endrun(msg="Non-physical selection of vegshape parameter for pft", i//errMsg(__FILE__, __LINE__))
+      end if
+   end do
     call ncd_io('stocking', stocking, 'read', ncid, readvar=readv, posNOTonfile=.true.)
     if (.not. readv ) stocking(:) = 1000._r8
     call ncd_io('taper', taper, 'read', ncid, readvar=readv, posNOTonfile=.true.)