diff --git a/src/mesh/impls/bout/boutmesh.cxx b/src/mesh/impls/bout/boutmesh.cxx
index ea1b6a41b2..e701ba849f 100644
--- a/src/mesh/impls/bout/boutmesh.cxx
+++ b/src/mesh/impls/bout/boutmesh.cxx
@@ -268,7 +268,11 @@ void BoutMesh::chooseProcessorSplit(Options& options) {
           _f("Number of processors ({:d}) not divisible by NPs in x direction ({:d})\n"),
           NPES, NXPE);
     }
-
+    if (nx % NXPE != 0) {
+      throw BoutException(
+          _("Number of x points ({:d}) not divisible by NPs in x direction ({:d})\n"), nx,
+          NXPE);
+    }
     NYPE = NPES / NXPE;
   } else {
     // NXPE not set, but NYPE is
@@ -281,7 +285,11 @@ void BoutMesh::chooseProcessorSplit(Options& options) {
           _f("Number of processors ({:d}) not divisible by NPs in y direction ({:d})\n"),
           NPES, NYPE);
     }
-
+    if (ny % NYPE != 0) {
+      throw BoutException(
+          _("Number of y points ({:d}) not divisible by NPs in y direction ({:d})\n"), nx,
+          NXPE);
+    }
     NXPE = NPES / NYPE;
   }
 
@@ -2218,9 +2226,9 @@ void BoutMesh::topology() {
     }
 
     for (int i = 0; i < limiter_count; ++i) {
-      int const yind = limiter_yinds[i];
-      int const xstart = limiter_xstarts[i];
-      int const xend = limiter_xends[i];
+      const int yind = limiter_yinds[i];
+      const int xstart = limiter_xstarts[i];
+      const int xend = limiter_xends[i];
       output_info.write("Adding a limiter between y={} and {}. X indices {} to {}\n",
                         yind, yind + 1, xstart, xend);
       add_target(yind, xstart, xend);
diff --git a/tests/unit/mesh/test_boutmesh.cxx b/tests/unit/mesh/test_boutmesh.cxx
index 8a446a742b..a23b432f70 100644
--- a/tests/unit/mesh/test_boutmesh.cxx
+++ b/tests/unit/mesh/test_boutmesh.cxx
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ TEST_P(BadBoutMeshDecompositionTest, BadSingleCoreYDecomposition) {
   EXPECT_THAT(result.reason, HasSubstr(params.expected_message));
 }
 
-TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNXPE) {
+TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNXPETooManyXProcs) {
   Options options{{"NXPE", 3}};
 
   BoutMeshExposer mesh(1, 24, 1, 1, 1, 8);
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNXPE) {
   EXPECT_THROW(mesh.chooseProcessorSplit(options), BoutException);
 }
 
-TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNYPE) {
+TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNYPETooManyYProcs) {
   Options options{{"NYPE", 7}};
 
   BoutMeshExposer mesh(1, 24, 1, 1, 1, 8);
@@ -480,10 +480,46 @@ TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNYPE) {
   EXPECT_THROW(mesh.chooseProcessorSplit(options), BoutException);
 }
 
+TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNXPENotDivisible_0) {
+  WithQuietOutput info{output_info};
+  Options options{{"NXPE", 5}};
+
+  BoutMeshExposer mesh(5, 24, 1, 1, 1, 8);
+
+  EXPECT_THROW(mesh.chooseProcessorSplit(options), BoutException);
+}
+
+TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNYPENotDivisible_0) {
+  WithQuietOutput info{output_info};
+  Options options{{"NYPE", 5}};
+
+  BoutMeshExposer mesh(5, 5, 1, 1, 1, 8);
+
+  EXPECT_THROW(mesh.chooseProcessorSplit(options), BoutException);
+}
+
+TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNXPENotDivisible_1) {
+  WithQuietOutput info{output_info};
+  Options options{{"NXPE", 5}};
+
+  BoutMeshExposer mesh(5, 24, 1, 1, 1, 8);
+
+  EXPECT_THROW(mesh.chooseProcessorSplit(options), BoutException);
+}
+
+TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNYPENotDivisible_1) {
+  WithQuietOutput info{output_info};
+  Options options{{"NYPE", 5}};
+
+  BoutMeshExposer mesh(5, 5, 1, 1, 1, 8);
+
+  EXPECT_THROW(mesh.chooseProcessorSplit(options), BoutException);
+}
+
 TEST_F(BoutMeshTest, ChooseProcessorSplitNXPE) {
   Options options{{"NXPE", 4}};
 
-  BoutMeshExposer mesh(1, 24, 1, 1, 1, 8);
+  BoutMeshExposer mesh(4, 24, 1, 1, 1, 8);
 
   EXPECT_NO_THROW(mesh.chooseProcessorSplit(options));