diff --git a/SS_prelim.tpl b/SS_prelim.tpl
index 736a698c..f02b9636 100644
--- a/SS_prelim.tpl
+++ b/SS_prelim.tpl
@@ -1285,6 +1285,7 @@
 
   //  SS_Label_Info_6.8.3 #Call fxn get_growth2() to calculate size-at-age
   get_growth2(styr); //   in preliminary calcs
+  get_growth3(styr, t_base + 1, 1, 1); //  this will apply linear below AFIX
   gp = 0;
   for (gg = 1; gg <= gender; gg++)
     for (int GPat = 1; GPat <= N_GP; GPat++)
@@ -1294,19 +1295,31 @@
       for (settle = 1; settle <= N_settle_timings; settle++)
       {
         g += N_platoon;
-        echoinput << "sex: " << gg << "; Gpat: " << GPat << " settle: " << settle << "; L-at-Amin: " << Lmin(gp) << "; L at max age: " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, nages) << endl;
-        if (len_bins(1) > Lmin(gp))
+        if (use_morph(g) > 0)
         {
-          warnstream << "Minimum pop size bin:_" << len_bins(1) << "; is > L at Amin for sex: " << gg
-                  << "; Gpat: " << GPat << "; L= " << Lmin(gp);
-          write_message (WARN, 0);
-        }
+        echoinput << "sex: " << gg << "; Gpat: " << GPat << " settle: " << settle << "; L-at-Amin: " << Lmin(gp) << "; L at max age: " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, nages) << endl;
         if (Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, nages) > 0.95 * len_bins(nlength))
         {
           warnstream << "Maximum pop size bin:_" << len_bins(nlength) << "; is within 5% of L at maxage for sex: " << gg
                   << "; Gpat: " << GPat << " settle: " << settle << "; L= " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, nages);
           write_message (WARN, 0);
         }
+        for (a = 0; a <= nages; a++)
+        {
+          if (Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a) < 0.0)
+          {
+            warnstream << "Negative Length calculated for: " << "sex: " << gg << "; Gpat: " << GPat << " settle: " << settle
+             << " age: " << a << " Len@age = " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a);
+            write_message (FATAL, 0);
+          }
+          if (a > 0 && Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a) < Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a-1))
+          {
+            warnstream << "Decreasing Len@age calculated for sex: " << gg << "; Gpat: " << GPat << " settle: " << settle
+            << " at age: " << a << " Len@age = " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a) << " < " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a - 1);
+            write_message (WARN, 0);
+          }
+        }
+      }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/SS_readcontrol_330.tpl b/SS_readcontrol_330.tpl
index ac7ecde3..e9aa93e6 100644
--- a/SS_readcontrol_330.tpl
+++ b/SS_readcontrol_330.tpl
@@ -1614,20 +1614,24 @@
       Ip += N_natMparms;
       mgp_type(Ip, Ip + N_growparms - 1) = 2; // growth parms
 
-      // check on out of bound Lmin values.  Only check females because males can be offset from females
-      // allow for AFIX < 0 because those models are inputting the age at L=0, which must be negative
+      // check on out of bound Lmin values.  Only check females because male parameter can be offset from females
+      // bypass for AFIX <= 0 because those models are inputting the age at L=0, commonly termed t0
+      // note that AFIX is age post-settlement
+      // if AFIX is > 0, then fish settle at age 0.0 at length = len_bins(1), then grow linearly until reaching Lmin at age (post-settlement) = AFIX
+      // keeping Lmin >= len_bins(1) prevents shrinkage during that linear growth stanza
+      // additional checks occur in preliminary calcs regarding generating L@age < 0, or generating a decreasing trend in L@age due to linear growth below AFIX
 
-     if ( gp == 1 && WTage_rd == 0 && AFIX >= 0.0)
+     if ( gp == 1 && WTage_rd == 0 && AFIX >= 0.0)  // apply test
       {
         if (MGparm_1(Ip,1) < len_bins(1))
         {
-          warnstream << "parm min for Lmin: " << MGparm_1(Ip,1) << " cannot be less than population min length bin " << len_bins(1);
-          write_message (FATAL, 0); // EXIT!
+          warnstream << "parm min for Lmin: " << MGparm_1(Ip,1) << " should not be less than population min length bin " << len_bins(1);
+          write_message (WARN, 0); // EXIT!
         }
-        if (MGparm_1(Ip,3) < len_bins(1))
+        if (MGparm_1(Ip,3) < len_bins(1) && MGparm_1(Ip,7) >= 0)
         {
-          warnstream << "parm init value for Lmin: " << MGparm_1(Ip,3) << " cannot be less than population min length bin " << len_bins(1);
-          write_message (FATAL, 0); // EXIT!
+          warnstream << "parm init value for Lmin: " << MGparm_1(Ip,3) << " should not be less than population min length bin if Lmin estimated" << len_bins(1);
+          write_message (WARN, 0); // EXIT!
         }
       }
       //  check on estimation of variance parameters for CV_young and CV_old
diff --git a/SS_readdata_330.tpl b/SS_readdata_330.tpl
index bb681676..89b9f783 100644
--- a/SS_readdata_330.tpl
+++ b/SS_readdata_330.tpl
@@ -2445,8 +2445,8 @@
   imatrix  mkt_a(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a);
   3darray  Lbin_filter(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a,1,nlength2);
   imatrix  use_Lbin_filter(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a);
-  imatrix  Lbin_lo(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a);
-  imatrix  Lbin_hi(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a);
+  matrix  Lbin_lo(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a);
+  matrix  Lbin_hi(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a);
   3darray tails_a(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a,1,4);   // min-max bin for females; min-max bin for males
   3darray header_a(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a,1,9);
   3darray header_a_rd(1,Nfleet,1,Nobs_a,2,3);
diff --git a/SS_write_report.tpl b/SS_write_report.tpl
index f9855ffc..c2242670 100644
--- a/SS_write_report.tpl
+++ b/SS_write_report.tpl
@@ -3682,6 +3682,43 @@ FUNCTION void write_bigoutput()
       SS2out << save_G_parm(g)(1, 2) << " " << sx(save_G_parm(g, 3)) << " " << save_G_parm(g)(3, 22) << endl;
     }
   }
+
+  gp = 0;
+  for (gg = 1; gg <= gender; gg++)
+    for (int GPat = 1; GPat <= N_GP; GPat++)
+    {
+      gp++;
+      g = g_Start(gp); //  base platoon
+      for (settle = 1; settle <= N_settle_timings; settle++)
+      {
+        g += N_platoon;
+        if (use_morph(g) > 0)
+        {
+        if (Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, nages) > 0.95 * len_bins(nlength))
+        {
+          warnstream << "Maximum pop size bin:_" << len_bins(nlength) << "; is within 5% of L at maxage for sex: " << gg
+                  << "; Gpat: " << GPat << " settle: " << settle << "; L= " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, nages);
+          write_message (WARN, 0);
+        }
+        for (a = 0; a <= nages; a++)
+        {
+          if (Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a) < 0.0)
+          {
+            warnstream << "Negative Length calculated for: " << "sex: " << gg << "; Gpat: " << GPat << " settle: " << settle
+             << " age: " << a << " Len@age = " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a);
+            write_message (WARN, 0);
+          }
+          if (a > 0 && Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a) < Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a-1))
+          {
+            warnstream << "Decreasing Len@age calculated for sex: " << gg << "; Gpat: " << GPat << " settle: " << settle
+            << " at age: " << a << " Len@age = " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a) << " < " << Ave_Size(styr, 1, g, a - 1);
+            write_message (WARN, 0);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      }
+    }
+
   // REPORT_KEYWORD 46 SEASONAL_BIOLOGY
   if (pick_report_use(46) == "Y" && MGparm_doseas > 0)
   {