diff --git a/experiments/AMIP/coupler_driver.jl b/experiments/AMIP/coupler_driver.jl
index b9ff99ce54..27458d6a37 100644
--- a/experiments/AMIP/coupler_driver.jl
+++ b/experiments/AMIP/coupler_driver.jl
@@ -710,8 +710,7 @@ function solve_coupler!(cs)
 
     ClimaComms.iamroot(comms_ctx) && @info("Starting coupling loop")
     ## step in time
-    ## Use ClimaComms.@elapsed to time the simulation on both CPU and GPU
-    walltime = ClimaComms.@elapsed comms_ctx.device for t in ((tspan[begin] + Δt_cpl):Δt_cpl:tspan[end])
+    for t in (tspan[begin]:Δt_cpl:tspan[end])
 
         cs.dates.date[1] = TimeManager.current_date(cs, t)
 
@@ -798,9 +797,8 @@ function solve_coupler!(cs)
         TimeManager.trigger_callback!(cs, cs.callbacks.checkpoint)
 
     end
-    ClimaComms.iamroot(comms_ctx) && @show(walltime)
 
-    return walltime
+    return nothing
 end
 
 ## exit if running performance anaysis #hide
@@ -808,8 +806,16 @@ if haskey(ENV, "CI_PERF_SKIP_COUPLED_RUN") #hide
     throw(:exit_profile_init) #hide
 end #hide
 
-## run the coupled simulation
-walltime = solve_coupler!(cs);
+## precompile the coupler loop before running, so that our runtime analysis is accurate
+Base.precompile(solve_coupler!, (typeof(cs),))
+
+## Use ClimaComms.@elapsed to time the simulation on both CPU and GPU
+walltime = ClimaComms.@elapsed comms_ctx.device begin
+    s = CA.@timed_str begin
+        solve_coupler!(cs)
+    end
+end
+ClimaComms.iamroot(comms_ctx) && @show(walltime)
 
 ## Use ClimaAtmos calculation to show the simulated years per day of the simulation (SYPD)
 es = CA.EfficiencyStats(tspan, walltime)