diff --git a/src/shared_utilities/implicit_timestepping.jl b/src/shared_utilities/implicit_timestepping.jl
index 8b2623d219..55bcbfbca2 100644
--- a/src/shared_utilities/implicit_timestepping.jl
+++ b/src/shared_utilities/implicit_timestepping.jl
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ function ImplicitEquationJacobian(Y::ClimaCore.Fields.FieldVector)
     function get_j_field(
         space::Union{Spaces.PointSpace, Spaces.SpectralElementSpace2D},
     )
-        diag_type = (I,)
+        diag_type = MatrixFields.DiagonalMatrixRow{FT}
         diag_field = ClimaCore.Fields.Field(diag_type, space)
         fill!(parent(diag_field), 0)
         return diag_field
diff --git a/src/standalone/Vegetation/canopy_energy.jl b/src/standalone/Vegetation/canopy_energy.jl
index 389991cf86..47b647413c 100644
--- a/src/standalone/Vegetation/canopy_energy.jl
+++ b/src/standalone/Vegetation/canopy_energy.jl
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ function ClimaLand.make_update_jacobian(
 
         # The derivative of the residual with respect to the prognostic variable
         ∂Tres∂T = matrix[@name(canopy.energy.T), @name(canopy.energy.T)]
-        @. ∂Tres∂T = dtγ * 1 - (I,)
+        @. ∂Tres∂T = dtγ *  MatrixFields.DiagonalMatrixRow(Y.canopy.energy.T) - (I,)
     end
     return update_jacobian!
 end