diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_fcst.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_fcst.sh
index 7450de7cc5..c875cb16c0 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_fcst.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_fcst.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
 export cyc=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL:8:2}
diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_get_ics.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_get_ics.sh
index 0ee521a67d..494eab6850 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_get_ics.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_get_ics.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow task_get_extrn_ics ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
 export cyc=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL:8:2}
diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_get_lbcs.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_get_lbcs.sh
index 543ab6e47d..ec6fa23892 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_get_lbcs.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_get_lbcs.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow task_get_extrn_lbcs ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
 export cyc=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL:8:2}
diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_make_grid.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_make_grid.sh
index 2d55beaf94..f7a6f8aeed 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_make_grid.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_make_grid.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_make_ics.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_make_ics.sh
index 5c629722fc..adcdc16180 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_make_ics.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_make_ics.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
 export cyc=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL:8:2}
diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_make_lbcs.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_make_lbcs.sh
index 27c94c127f..f9fe35d9da 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_make_lbcs.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_make_lbcs.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
 export cyc=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL:8:2}
diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_make_orog.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_make_orog.sh
index 5f02ff9599..ebc5259ec1 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_make_orog.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_make_orog.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_make_sfc_climo.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_make_sfc_climo.sh
index fab33f75d6..8024f529fc 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_make_sfc_climo.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_make_sfc_climo.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
diff --git a/ush/wrappers/run_post.sh b/ush/wrappers/run_post.sh
index 46ef104365..ca060acb1f 100755
--- a/ush/wrappers/run_post.sh
+++ b/ush/wrappers/run_post.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.sh"
+export GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP="${EXPTDIR}/var_defns.yaml"
+. $USHdir/source_util_funcs.sh
+for sect in workflow ; do
+  source_yaml ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP} ${sect}
+done
 set -xa
-source ${GLOBAL_VAR_DEFNS_FP}
 export CDATE=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL}
 export CYCLE_DIR=${EXPTDIR}/${CDATE}
 export cyc=${DATE_FIRST_CYCL:8:2}