diff --git a/src/mesh/impls/bout/boutmesh.cxx b/src/mesh/impls/bout/boutmesh.cxx
index 4be01d4637..a0a4a611c4 100644
--- a/src/mesh/impls/bout/boutmesh.cxx
+++ b/src/mesh/impls/bout/boutmesh.cxx
@@ -245,7 +245,11 @@ void BoutMesh::chooseProcessorSplit(Options& options) {
           _("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
@@ -258,7 +262,11 @@ void BoutMesh::chooseProcessorSplit(Options& options) {
           _("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;
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/mesh/test_boutmesh.cxx b/tests/unit/mesh/test_boutmesh.cxx
index 8a446a742b..45217bfbe0 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, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNXPENotDivisibleByNYPE) {
+  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, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNYPENotDivisibleByNYPE) {
+  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, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNXPENotDivisibleByNYPE) {
+  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, ChooseProcessorSplitBadNYPENotDivisibleByNYPE) {
+  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));