diff --git a/src/mains/AnalysisPostproc.h b/src/mains/AnalysisPostproc.h
index ee5b6538..c2c0ad70 100644
--- a/src/mains/AnalysisPostproc.h
+++ b/src/mains/AnalysisPostproc.h
@@ -319,9 +319,13 @@ class AnalysisPostproc : public oops::Application {
     if (incPostprocConfig.has("set increment variables to zero")) {
       oops::Variables socaZeroIncrVar(incPostprocConfig, "set increment variables to zero");
       if (!(socaZeroIncrVar <= incs.variables())) {
-        oops::Log::error() << "Variables to zero must be a subset of increment variables"
-                           << std::endl;
-        throw eckit::UserError("Invalid variables to zero", Here());
+        // Add variables that have to be set to zero to the increment variables,
+        // so that the increment can be updated
+        oops::Variables newvars = incs.variables();
+        newvars += socaZeroIncrVar;
+        for (size_t jj = 0; jj < incs.size(); ++jj) {
+          incs[jj].increment().updateFields(newvars);
+        }
       }
       for (size_t jj = 0; jj < incs.size(); ++jj) {
         // Note: this is soca::Increment specific method
diff --git a/src/soca/State/State.cc b/src/soca/State/State.cc
index 25ab3e04..4e19c50f 100644
--- a/src/soca/State/State.cc
+++ b/src/soca/State/State.cc
@@ -248,6 +248,11 @@ namespace soca {
     const auto missing = util::missingValue<double>();
     for (const auto & src : dx_interp->fieldSet()) {
       const auto v_src = atlas::array::make_view<double, 2>(src);
+      if (!fieldSet_.has(src.name())) {
+        oops::Log::warning() << "State does not have variable " << src.name()
+                             << " from Increment, skipping." << std::endl;
+        continue;
+      }
       auto & dst = fieldSet_.field(src.name());
       auto v_dst = atlas::array::make_view<double, 2>(dst);
       for (size_t i = 0; i < src.shape(0); ++i) {