diff --git a/sources/io.F90 b/sources/io.F90
index bd56e8f..a6578dd 100644
--- a/sources/io.F90
+++ b/sources/io.F90
@@ -1458,9 +1458,25 @@ module io
 
     if (nprocs >= lnprocs) then
 
-      if (nproc < lnprocs) then
+! spread the restart snapshots reading across new processes so we do not
+! overload the memory; change the data block process starting from the last
+! down to the first process, so we do not change the process number of blocks
+! which have already been updated;
+!
+      n = nprocs / lnprocs
+      do nl = lnprocs - 1, 0, -1
+        nu = nl * n
+        call change_blocks_process(nl, nu)
+      end do
+      if (mod(nproc, n) == 0) then
+        nl = nproc / n
+      else
+        nl = -1
+      end if
 
-        write(fname,sfmt) trim(dname), "datablocks", nproc, "xml"
+      if (nl >= 0) then
+
+        write(fname,sfmt) trim(dname), "datablocks", nl, "xml"
         inquire(file=fname, exist=test)
         if (.not. test) then
           write(*,*) trim(fname) // " does not exist!"
@@ -1538,7 +1554,7 @@ module io
 
           if (status == 0) then
 
-            write(fname,sfmt) trim(dname), "datablock_ids", nproc, "bin"
+            write(fname,sfmt) trim(dname), "datablock_ids", nl, "bin"
             open(newunit=lun, file=fname, form='unformatted', access='stream')
             read(lun) ids
             close(lun)
@@ -1553,7 +1569,7 @@ module io
               call link_blocks(block_array(ids(l))%ptr, pdata)
 
               write(fname,"(a,'datablock_prim_',i6.6,'_',i6.6,'.bin')") &
-                                                           trim(dname), nproc, l
+                                                           trim(dname), nl, l
               open(newunit=lun, file=fname, form='unformatted', access='stream')
               read(lun) array(:,:,:,:,1)
               close(lun)
@@ -1575,7 +1591,7 @@ module io
               end if
 
               write(fname,"(a,'datablock_cons_',i6.6,'_',i6.6,'.bin')") &
-                                                           trim(dname), nproc, l
+                                                           trim(dname), nl, l
               open(newunit=lun, file=fname, form='unformatted', access='stream')
               read(lun) array
               close(lun)
@@ -1610,7 +1626,7 @@ module io
 
         if (status == 0) then
 
-          write(fname,sfmt) trim(dname), "random_seeds", nproc, "bin"
+          write(fname,sfmt) trim(dname), "random_seeds", nl, "bin"
           open(newunit=lun, file=fname, form='unformatted', access='stream')
           read(lun) seeds
           close(lun)
@@ -1625,7 +1641,7 @@ module io
           call print_message(loc, "Could not allocate space for seeds!")
         end if
 
-      else ! nproc < lnprocs
+      else ! nl < 0
 
         write(fname,sfmt) trim(dname), "datablocks", 0, "xml"
         inquire(file=fname, exist=test)
@@ -1683,7 +1699,7 @@ module io
 
         end if ! gentype == "same"
 
-      end if ! nproc < nprocs
+      end if ! nl < 0
 
     else ! nprocs < lnprocs