diff --git a/components/cam/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_cam.xml b/components/cam/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_cam.xml
index b1ab477fa7e3..37a1f7e6a1d3 100644
--- a/components/cam/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_cam.xml
+++ b/components/cam/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_cam.xml
@@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@
 <iopfile dyn="eul">atm/cam/scam/iop/ARM95_4scam.nc</iopfile>
 
 <!-- physics loadbalance -->
-<phys_loadbalance dyn="se"> 0 </phys_loadbalance>
+<phys_loadbalance dyn="se"> 2 </phys_loadbalance>
 <phys_loadbalance dyn="eul"> 3 </phys_loadbalance>
 
 <!-- Control output to history file(s) -->
diff --git a/components/cam/src/physics/cam/phys_grid.F90 b/components/cam/src/physics/cam/phys_grid.F90
index 8dea52322858..e5f4e8331191 100644
--- a/components/cam/src/physics/cam/phys_grid.F90
+++ b/components/cam/src/physics/cam/phys_grid.F90
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ module phys_grid
    integer, private, parameter :: modmin_alltoall = 11
    integer, private, parameter :: modmax_alltoall = 13
 # endif
-   integer, private, parameter :: def_alltoall = -1                ! default
+   integer, private, parameter :: def_alltoall = 1                ! default
    integer, private :: phys_alltoall = def_alltoall
 
 contains