Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/transient.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/transient.m	(revision 23769)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/transient.m	(revision 23770)
@@ -104,4 +104,7 @@
 				md = checkmessage(md,['Coupling with ocean model can only be performed for transient simulations!']);
 			end
+			if (md.transient.isdamageevolution & ~isa(md.materials,'matdamageice')), 
+				md = checkmessage(md,['requesting damage evolution but md.materials is not of class matdamageice']);
+			end
 		end % }}}
 		function disp(self) % {{{
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/transient.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/transient.py	(revision 23769)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/transient.py	(revision 23770)
@@ -146,5 +146,7 @@
 
 		if (solution!='TransientSolution') and (md.transient.iscoupling):
-				md.checkmessage("Coupling with ocean can only be done in transient simulations!")
+                    md.checkmessage("Coupling with ocean can only be done in transient simulations!")
+                if (md.transient.isdamageevolution and not hasattr(md.materials,'matdamageice')):
+                    md.checkmessage("requesting damage evolution but md.materials is not of class matdamageice")
 
 		return md