diff --git a/Inst_eddies/Tests/test_mean_speed.f90 b/Inst_eddies/Tests/test_mean_speed.f90
index 76ccfe5c68932ff32ec7e416cd2430ef532711d2..caadcc97407544e481835cd80520354ea15e5b8d 100644
--- a/Inst_eddies/Tests/test_mean_speed.f90
+++ b/Inst_eddies/Tests/test_mean_speed.f90
@@ -34,13 +34,6 @@ program test_mean_speed
 
   !---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-  call get_command_arg_dyn(1, contour_filename, "Required argument: shapefile")
-  write(unit = *, nml = main_nml)
-  print *, "Enter namelist main_nml."
-  read(unit = *, nml = main_nml)
-  write(unit = *, nml = main_nml)
-  center = center_deg * deg_to_rad
-
   call nf95_open("uv.nc", nf95_nowrite, ncid)
 
   call nf95_find_coord(ncid, dimid = dimid, varid = varid, &
@@ -74,6 +67,13 @@ program test_mean_speed
 
   call nf95_close(ncid)
 
+  write(unit = *, nml = main_nml)
+  print *, "Enter namelist main_nml."
+  read(unit = *, nml = main_nml)
+  write(unit = *, nml = main_nml)
+  center = center_deg * deg_to_rad
+
+  call get_command_arg_dyn(1, contour_filename, "Required argument: shapefile")
   call shp_open_03(hshp, contour_filename, "rb")
   call shp_read_pol(p, hshp, ishape)
   CALL shpclose(hshp)