diff --git a/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_time_integration_fe_rk.F b/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_time_integration_fe_rk.F
index 6510164eb317..77cf14c5ec8d 100644
--- a/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_time_integration_fe_rk.F
+++ b/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_time_integration_fe_rk.F
@@ -301,9 +301,13 @@ subroutine li_time_integrator_forwardeuler_rungekutta(domain, err)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'edgeMask', edgeMask)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'vertexMask', vertexMask, timeLevel=1)
 
-
       call mpas_pool_get_array(thermalPool, 'temperature', temperature)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(thermalPool, 'waterFrac', waterFrac)
+
+      ! Calculate masks prior to RK loop, but do not update masks within the loop
+      ! to preserve the accuracy of time integration.
+      call li_calculate_mask(meshPool, velocityPool, geometryPool, err_tmp)
+      err = ior(err, err_tmp)
       ! Save relevant fields before RK loop, to be used in update at the end
       temperaturePrev(:,:) = temperature(:,:)
       waterFracPrev(:,:) = waterFrac(:,:)
@@ -399,11 +403,6 @@ subroutine li_time_integrator_forwardeuler_rungekutta(domain, err)
          return
       endif
 
-      ! Calculate masks prior to RK loop, but do not update masks within the loop
-      ! to preserve the accuracy of time integration.
-      call li_calculate_mask(meshPool, velocityPool, geometryPool, err_tmp)
-      err = ior(err, err_tmp)
-
 ! *** Start RK loop ***
       do rkStage = 1, nRKstages
          call mpas_log_write('beginning rk stage $i of $i', &