diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 853a3b3fed2..e0c26468879 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,12 +9,15 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Fixed
 - Fixed compiler bug encountered with certain versions of Intel compilers
+- Fixed bug when one of the two names in an ExtData2G rule for a vector is contained in a substring in another item, for example UA;VA and EVAP 
 
 ### Added
 - Add debug logger call to print out the name of the container being read from `ExtData.rc`
 - Added dimensionless vertical coordinates to criteria for vertically flipping imports in ExtData
+- Added ExtData2G criteria for presence of vertical coordinate for cases of non-CF-compliant files
 
 ### Changed
+- Changed default ExtData2G import vertical direction from down to up
 
 ### Removed
 
diff --git a/gridcomps/ExtData2G/ExtDataConfig.F90 b/gridcomps/ExtData2G/ExtDataConfig.F90
index bb925d60043..307f50d23cc 100644
--- a/gridcomps/ExtData2G/ExtDataConfig.F90
+++ b/gridcomps/ExtData2G/ExtDataConfig.F90
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ function get_item_type(this,item_name,unusable,rc) result(item_type)
 
       type(ExtDataRuleMapIterator) :: rule_iterator
       character(len=:), pointer :: key
-      character(len=:), allocatable :: found_key
+      character(len=:), allocatable :: found_key, stripped_name
       logical :: found_rule
 
       _UNUSED_DUMMY(unusable)
@@ -287,7 +287,8 @@ function get_item_type(this,item_name,unusable,rc) result(item_type)
       rule_iterator = this%rule_map%begin()
       do while(rule_iterator /= this%rule_map%end())
          key => rule_iterator%key()
-         if (index(key,trim(item_name))/=0) then
+         stripped_name = strip_multi_rule(key)
+         if (trim(stripped_name)==trim(item_name)) then
             found_rule = .true.
             found_key = key
             exit
@@ -315,7 +316,22 @@ function get_item_type(this,item_name,unusable,rc) result(item_type)
          found_rule = .true.
       end if
       _RETURN(_SUCCESS)
-   end function get_item_type
+
+   contains
+      function strip_multi_rule(full_name) result(stripped_name)
+         character(len=:), allocatable :: stripped_name
+         character(len=*), intent(in) :: full_name
+ 
+         integer :: plus_sign
+         plus_sign = index(full_name,'+')
+         if (plus_sign == 0) then
+            stripped_name=full_name
+         else
+            stripped_name=full_name(:plus_sign-1)
+         end if
+      end function
+
+    end function get_item_type
 
    subroutine add_new_rule(this,key,export_rule,multi_rule,rc)
       class(ExtDataConfig), intent(inout) :: this
diff --git a/gridcomps/ExtData2G/ExtDataTypeDef.F90 b/gridcomps/ExtData2G/ExtDataTypeDef.F90
index fddb33e8e54..02f0e095173 100644
--- a/gridcomps/ExtData2G/ExtDataTypeDef.F90
+++ b/gridcomps/ExtData2G/ExtDataTypeDef.F90
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@ module MAPL_ExtDataTypeDef
 
      type(ESMF_FieldBundle) :: t_interp_bundle
 
-     character(len=4) :: importVDir = "down"
+     ! Change default for GCHP
+     !character(len=4) :: importVDir = "down"
+     character(len=4) :: importVDir = "up"
      logical :: enable_vertical_regrid = .false.
      logical :: allow_vertical_regrid = .false.
      character(len=:), allocatable :: aux_ps, aux_q
diff --git a/vertical/VerticalCoordinate.F90 b/vertical/VerticalCoordinate.F90
index af436e322e5..2af76290d61 100644
--- a/vertical/VerticalCoordinate.F90
+++ b/vertical/VerticalCoordinate.F90
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ function new_verticalCoordinate(metadata, var_name, rc) result(vertical_coord)
          if (metadata%has_variable(dim_name)) then
             dim_var => metadata%get_variable(dim_name)
             is_vertical_coord_var = detect_cf_vertical_coord_var(dim_var, _RC)
+            is_vertical_coord_var = is_vertical_coord_var .or. dim_name == 'lev'
             if (is_vertical_coord_var) then
                lev_name = dim_name
                exit 
@@ -103,6 +104,24 @@ function new_verticalCoordinate(metadata, var_name, rc) result(vertical_coord)
             if (vertical_coord%levels(1) > vertical_coord%levels(2)) vertical_coord%positive = "up" !bmaa
             _RETURN(_SUCCESS)
          end if
+
+         ! now test if no positive attribute and does not have pressure units
+         ! for backwards compatibility with non-cf files
+         if ((.not. coord_var%is_attribute_present("positive")) .and. &
+              (.not. has_pressure_units)) then
+            standard_name = coord_var%get_attribute_string("standard_name")
+            ! metadata combinations that imply integer levels
+            if ( any(standard_name == ["level ", "levels"])  .and. &
+                 any(temp_units == ["1    ", "level"])) then
+               vertical_coord%positive = "up"
+               if (vertical_coord%levels(1) >= vertical_coord%levels(2)) then
+                  vertical_coord%positive = "down"
+               endif
+            else
+               _FAIL('lev positive attribute not in file and no rule defined for setting it from standard_name and units')
+            endif
+         endif
+
          ! now test if this is a "fixed" height level, if has height units, then dimensioanl coordinate, but must have positive 
          has_height_units = safe_are_convertible(temp_units, 'm', _RC)
          if (has_height_units) then