diff --git a/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/default/__init__.py b/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/default/__init__.py
index 15a8f04dee..3f400a82f5 100644
--- a/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/default/__init__.py
+++ b/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/default/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from compass.ocean.tests.dam_break.initial_state import InitialState
 from compass.ocean.tests.dam_break.forward import Forward
 from compass.ocean.tests.dam_break.viz import Viz
+from compass.validate import compare_variables
 
 
 class Default(TestCase):
@@ -67,3 +68,11 @@ def configure(self):
                    'mesh cells in the y direction')
         config.set('dam_break', 'dc', f'{dc}', comment='the distance '
                    'between adjacent cell centers')
+
+    def validate(self):
+        """
+        Validate variables against a baseline
+        """
+        variables = ['layerThickness', 'normalVelocity', 'ssh']
+        compare_variables(test_case=self, variables=variables,
+                          filename1=f'forward/output.nc')
diff --git a/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/namelist.forward b/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/namelist.forward
index 6defd7cf7a..647c228b85 100644
--- a/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/namelist.forward
+++ b/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/namelist.forward
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@ config_zero_drying_velocity=.true.
 config_drying_min_cell_height=1e-6
 config_thickness_flux_type='upwind'
 config_vert_coord_movement='impermeable_interfaces'
+config_disable_tr_all_tend = .true.
diff --git a/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/streams.init b/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/streams.init
index 5279b8abdb..bd4b466e0e 100644
--- a/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/streams.init
+++ b/compass/ocean/tests/dam_break/streams.init
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
         filename_template="ocean.nc">
 
     <stream name="input_init"/>
+    <var_struct name="tracers"/>
     <var name="bottomDepth"/>
     <var name="refZMid"/>
     <var name="refBottomDepth"/>