diff --git a/src/diagnostics/netcdf_writer.jl b/src/diagnostics/netcdf_writer.jl
index da19677c5c..695ce1edd5 100644
--- a/src/diagnostics/netcdf_writer.jl
+++ b/src/diagnostics/netcdf_writer.jl
@@ -665,9 +665,9 @@ function write_field!(
         )
         v.attrib["short_name"] = var.short_name
         v.attrib["long_name"] = diagnostic.output_long_name
-        v.attrib["short_name"] = var.short_name
         v.attrib["units"] = var.units
         v.attrib["comments"] = var.comments
+        v.attrib["start_date"] = string(integrator.p.start_date)
 
         temporal_size = 0
     end