diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7d4937541..825372ca6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -199,6 +199,8 @@ test_quad_irreg_interp
 test_quad_reg_interp
 test_table_read
 test_ran_unif
+test_get_close_init_zero_dist
+test_get_close_init_zero_dists
 
 # Directories to NOT IGNORE ... same as executable names
 # as far as I know, these must be listed after the executables
diff --git a/developer_tests/get_close/test_get_close_init_zero_dist.f90 b/developer_tests/get_close/test_get_close_init_zero_dist.f90
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e2b5f2cdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/developer_tests/get_close/test_get_close_init_zero_dist.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+program test_get_close_zero_dist
+
+use location_mod, only : get_close_init, get_close_type, location_type
+use types_mod,    only : r8
+use utilities_mod, only : initialize_utilities, finalize_utilities
+
+implicit none
+
+integer, parameter :: n = 10
+type(get_close_type) :: gc
+type(location_type)  ::  locs(n)
+real(r8) :: max_dist = 0.0_r8
+
+call initialize_utilities('test_get_close')
+
+call get_close_init(gc, n, max_dist, locs)
+
+call finalize_utilities()
+
+end program test_get_close_zero_dist
diff --git a/developer_tests/get_close/test_get_close_init_zero_dists.f90 b/developer_tests/get_close/test_get_close_init_zero_dists.f90
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8781a1b6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/developer_tests/get_close/test_get_close_init_zero_dists.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+program test_get_close_zero_dist
+
+use location_mod, only : get_close_init, get_close_type, location_type
+use types_mod,    only : r8
+use utilities_mod, only : initialize_utilities, finalize_utilities
+
+implicit none
+
+integer, parameter :: n = 10
+type(get_close_type) :: gc
+type(location_type)  ::  locs(n)
+real(r8) :: max_dist = 1.0_r8
+real(r8) :: max_dists(n) = 0.0_r8
+
+call initialize_utilities('test_get_close')
+
+call get_close_init(gc, n, max_dist, locs, max_dists)
+
+call finalize_utilities()
+
+end program test_get_close_zero_dist
diff --git a/developer_tests/get_close/work/input.nml b/developer_tests/get_close/work/input.nml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b0376ea48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/developer_tests/get_close/work/input.nml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+
+&location_nml
+   /
+
+&preprocess_nml
+   overwrite_output        = .true.
+   input_obs_qty_mod_file  = '../../../assimilation_code/modules/observations/DEFAULT_obs_kind_mod.F90'
+   output_obs_qty_mod_file = '../../../assimilation_code/modules/observations/obs_kind_mod.f90'
+   input_obs_def_mod_file  = '../../../observations/forward_operators/DEFAULT_obs_def_mod.F90'
+   output_obs_def_mod_file = '../../../observations/forward_operators/obs_def_mod.f90'
+   obs_type_files          = '../../../observations/forward_operators/obs_def_reanalysis_bufr_mod.f90'
+   quantity_files          = '../../../assimilation_code/modules/observations/default_quantities_mod.f90'
+   /
+
+&obs_kind_nml
+   /
+
+&utilities_nml
+   TERMLEVEL = 2
+   module_details = .false.
+   logfilename = 'dart_log.out'
+   nmlfilename = 'dart_log.nml'
+  /
diff --git a/developer_tests/get_close/work/quickbuild.sh b/developer_tests/get_close/work/quickbuild.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..394d4077a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/developer_tests/get_close/work/quickbuild.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+main() {
+
+export DART=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
+source "$DART"/build_templates/buildfunctions.sh
+
+MODEL="none"
+EXTRA="$DART"/models/template/threed_model_mod.f90
+TEST=get_close
+dev_test=1
+LOCATION="threed_cartesian"
+
+programs=(
+)
+
+serial_programs=(
+test_get_close_init_zero_dist
+test_get_close_init_zero_dists
+)
+
+arguments "$@"
+
+# clean the directory
+\rm -f -- *.o *.mod Makefile .cppdefs
+
+# build and run preprocess before making any other DART executables
+buildpreprocess
+
+# build DART
+buildit
+
+# clean up
+\rm -f -- *.o *.mod
+
+}
+
+main "$@"
diff --git a/developer_tests/get_close/work/runall.sh b/developer_tests/get_close/work/runall.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..e61318b70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/developer_tests/get_close/work/runall.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# DART software - Copyright UCAR. This open source software is provided
+# by UCAR, "as is", without charge, subject to all terms of use at
+# http://www.image.ucar.edu/DAReS/DART/DART_download
+
+# Usage:
+#  ./runall.sh
+#  ./runall.sh  | grep FAIL
+#  ./runall.sh  | grep PASS
+
+should_pass () {
+if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
+  echo $1: "FAIL"
+else
+  echo $1: "PASS"
+fi
+}
+
+function run_test () {
+  ./$1 > out.$1 2>&1
+  grep "$2" out.$1
+  res=$?
+  return $res
+}
+
+# for three_sphere
+# Use sed to replace the line (compatible with both macOS and Linux)
+if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
+  sed -i '' 's/^LOCATION=".*"/LOCATION="threed_sphere"/' quickbuild.sh
+else
+  sed -i 's/^LOCATION=".*"/LOCATION="threed_sphere"/' quickbuild.sh
+fi
+
+./quickbuild.sh
+
+run_test test_get_close_init_zero_dist "bad maxdist value"; should_pass "3d sphere max dist <=0"
+run_test test_get_close_init_zero_dists "bad maxdist_list value"; should_pass "3d sphere max dists <=0"
+
+
+#  for threed_cartesian
+if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
+  sed -i '' 's/^LOCATION=".*"/LOCATION="threed_cartesian"/' quickbuild.sh
+else
+  sed -i 's/^LOCATION=".*"/LOCATION="threed_cartesian"/' quickbuild.sh
+fi
+
+./quickbuild.sh
+
+run_test test_get_close_init_zero_dist "bad maxdist value"; should_pass "3d cart max dist <=0"
+run_test test_get_close_init_zero_dists "bad maxdist_list value"; should_pass "3d cart max dists <=0"
+