diff --git a/src/core/MOM_variables.F90 b/src/core/MOM_variables.F90
index 0b225f0bf7..5a3a4fed65 100644
--- a/src/core/MOM_variables.F90
+++ b/src/core/MOM_variables.F90
@@ -171,7 +171,9 @@ module MOM_variables
     du_dt_visc => NULL(), &!< Zonal acceleration due to vertical viscosity [L T-2 ~> m s-2]
     dv_dt_visc => NULL(), &!< Meridional acceleration due to vertical viscosity [L T-2 ~> m s-2]
     du_dt_dia => NULL(), & !< Zonal acceleration due to diapycnal  mixing [L T-2 ~> m s-2]
-    dv_dt_dia => NULL()    !< Meridional acceleration due to diapycnal  mixing [L T-2 ~> m s-2]
+    dv_dt_dia => NULL(), & !< Meridional acceleration due to diapycnal  mixing [L T-2 ~> m s-2]
+    u_accel_bt => NULL(), &!< Pointer to the zonal barotropic-solver acceleration [L T-2 ~> m s-2]
+    v_accel_bt => NULL()   !< Pointer to the meridional barotropic-solver acceleration [L T-2 ~> m s-2] 
   real, pointer, dimension(:,:,:) :: du_other => NULL()
                            !< Zonal velocity changes due to any other processes that are
                            !! not due to any explicit accelerations [L T-1 ~> m s-1].