diff --git a/ext/AGRIF/AGRIF_FILES/modtypes.F90 b/ext/AGRIF/AGRIF_FILES/modtypes.F90
index 3651d7bc1df1da5ec3049a94083f7414b5eda0b0..d00cd3e8fa4b4ecdd8d04bb961593a51993a3292 100644
--- a/ext/AGRIF/AGRIF_FILES/modtypes.F90
+++ b/ext/AGRIF/AGRIF_FILES/modtypes.F90
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ end type Agrif_Variables_List
     integer               :: Agrif_Regridding = 10
     integer               :: Agrif_Minwidth
     real                  :: Agrif_Efficiency = 0.7
-    integer               :: MaxSearch = 10 
+    integer               :: MaxSearch = 3 
     real(kind=8), dimension(3)    :: Agrif_mind
 !> @}
 !> \name parameters for the interpolation of the child grids
diff --git a/src/NST/agrif_ice_interp.F90 b/src/NST/agrif_ice_interp.F90
index 13d056d042762efd993f9ea95e8193fd67ad0fff..7281e5608711b3e031dd38ef76df211d7c9c8c26 100644
--- a/src/NST/agrif_ice_interp.F90
+++ b/src/NST/agrif_ice_interp.F90
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ CONTAINS
       ! Set a_i, v_i, v_s, sv_i, oa_i, a_ip, v_ip, t_su, e_s, e_i:
       Agrif_SpecialValue    = -9999.
       Agrif_UseSpecialValue = .TRUE.
+      CALL Agrif_Set_MaskMaxSearch(10)
       CALL Agrif_init_variable(tra_iceini_id,procname=interp_tra_ice)
       !
       CALL lbc_lnk( 'agrif_istate_ice',  a_i,'T',1._wp,  v_i,'T',1._wp, &
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ CONTAINS
       CALL Agrif_init_variable(v_iceini_id  ,procname=interp_v_ice)
       use_sign_north = .FALSE.
       Agrif_UseSpecialValue = .FALSE.
+      CALL Agrif_Set_MaskMaxSearch(3)
       ! 
       CALL lbc_lnk( 'agrif_istate_ice', u_ice, 'U', -1._wp, v_ice, 'V', -1._wp )
       !
diff --git a/src/NST/agrif_oce_interp.F90 b/src/NST/agrif_oce_interp.F90
index 326ecbbd0311ad5dbab077b332fbc929f6a7171f..3d816e5847f837114064fe987b1aeef59884d009 100644
--- a/src/NST/agrif_oce_interp.F90
+++ b/src/NST/agrif_oce_interp.F90
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ CONTAINS
       Agrif_SpecialValue    = 0.0_wp
       Agrif_UseSpecialValue = .TRUE.
       l_vremap              = ln_vert_remap
+      CALL Agrif_Set_MaskMaxSearch(10)
 
       ts(:,:,:,:,Kbb) = 0.0_wp
       uu(:,:,:,Kbb)   = 0.0_wp
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ CONTAINS
       Agrif_UseSpecialValue = .FALSE.
       l_ini_child           = .FALSE.
       l_vremap              = .FALSE. 
+      CALL Agrif_Set_MaskMaxSearch(3)
 
       Krhs_a = Kaa   ;   Kmm_a = Kmm