diff --git a/components/elm/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/elm/qian_1948/user_nl_elm b/components/elm/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/elm/qian_1948/user_nl_elm
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6602980fe555
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/elm/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/elm/qian_1948/user_nl_elm
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ create_crop_landunit = .false.