diff --git a/components/mpas-ocean/src/shared/mpas_ocn_vel_hmix_del4.F b/components/mpas-ocean/src/shared/mpas_ocn_vel_hmix_del4.F
index 055fd36466d5..d83168a53a6b 100644
--- a/components/mpas-ocean/src/shared/mpas_ocn_vel_hmix_del4.F
+++ b/components/mpas-ocean/src/shared/mpas_ocn_vel_hmix_del4.F
@@ -481,8 +481,8 @@ subroutine ocn_vel_hmix_div_del4_tend(div, tend, err)!{{{
          visc4 = viscDel4*meshScalingDel4(iEdge)
 
          do k = kmin, kmax
-            uDiff = divFactor*(del2div(k,cell2) - del2div(k,cell1))* &
-                                                          dcEdgeInv
+            uDiff = (del2div(k,cell2) - del2div(k,cell1))* &
+                                                   dcEdgeInv
 
             tend(k,iEdge) = tend(k,iEdge) - &
                             edgeMask(k,iEdge)*uDiff*visc4