diff --git a/sources/io.F90 b/sources/io.F90
index 93fcf99..25bbd57 100644
--- a/sources/io.F90
+++ b/sources/io.F90
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ module io
     use hdf5           , only : h5pset_deflate_f, h5pset_filter_f
 #endif /* HDF5 */
     use iso_fortran_env, only : error_unit
+    use mpitools       , only : nproc
     use parameters     , only : get_parameter
 
 ! local variables are not implicit by default
@@ -264,6 +265,8 @@ module io
 
 ! local variables
 !
+    logical               :: test
+    character(len=255)    :: dname
     character(len=255)    :: sformat = "xml"
     character(len=255)    :: precise = "off"
     character(len=255)    :: ghosts  = "on"
@@ -275,6 +278,7 @@ module io
     integer, dimension(1) :: cd_values = 3
 #endif /* HDF5 */
 
+
 #ifdef HDF5
 ! local parameters
 !
@@ -341,6 +345,38 @@ module io
       restart_format = snapshot_xml
     end select
 
+! check the last available restart snapshot
+!
+    if (nrest < 0) then
+
+      test = .true.
+      nrest = 0
+
+      select case(restart_format)
+#ifdef HDF5
+      case(snapshot_hdf5)
+        do while (test)
+          nrest = nrest + 1
+          write(dname, "(a,'r',i6.6,'_',i5.5,'.h5')")                          &
+                                                trim(respath), nrest, nproc
+          inquire(file = dname, exist = test)
+        end do
+#endif /* HDF5 */
+      case default
+        do while (test)
+          nrest = nrest + 1
+          write(dname, "(a,'restart-',i5.5)") trim(respath), nrest
+#ifdef __INTEL_COMPILER
+          inquire(directory = dname, exist = test)
+#else /* __INTEL_COMPILER */
+          inquire(file = dname, exist = test)
+#endif /* __INTEL_COMPILER */
+        end do
+      end select
+
+      nrest = nrest - 1
+    end if
+
 ! get compression format and level for XML+binary files
 !
     call get_parameter("compression_format", cformat)
@@ -4219,8 +4255,8 @@ module io
 ! restore forcing coefficients
 !
     call read_attribute(gid, 'nmodes', lnmodes)
-    if (lnmodes == nmodes .and. lnmodes > 0) then
-      call read_attribute(gid, 'fcoefs', fcoefs)
+    if (lnmodes == nmodes) then
+      if (lnmodes > 0) call read_attribute(gid, 'fcoefs', fcoefs)
     else
       write(error_unit,"('[',a,']: ',a)") trim(loc)                            &
                       , "The number of driving modes does not match!"