diff --git a/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/clm/FatesSetupParamBuild/README.md b/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/clm/FatesSetupParamBuild/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e2b225d501
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/clm/FatesSetupParamBuild/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+
+User mod directory to make sure the user is setup to run the FATES modify param file script.
+IF not it trys some different options and prints messages regarding what worked, and what the user
+needs to do if nothing worked.
+
+
+
diff --git a/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/clm/FatesSetupParamBuild/run_shell_commands_tests b/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/clm/FatesSetupParamBuild/run_shell_commands_tests
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a2eb2b4b85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cime_config/testdefs/testmods_dirs/clm/FatesSetupParamBuild/run_shell_commands_tests
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Define a custom error handler function
+handle_error() {
+    echo "An error occurred: $1"
+    echo "error code: $?"
+    # Additional error handling code can go here
+    return 1
+}
+
+# Set the error handler to be called when an error occurs
+trap 'handle_error "Something went wrong!"' ERR
+
+host=`hostname -f`
+if [[ "$host" =~ derecho*.hpc.ucar.edu || "$host" =~ d*.hpc.ucar.edu ]] ; then
+   echo "Running on Derecho..." >&2
+   echo ".... making sure conda is loaded..." >&2
+   module load conda
+else
+   echo "Not a recognized host: $host" >&2
+   exit 5
+fi
+echo "Test if shell_commands will run..."
+. ./shell_commands > /dev/null
+
+echo "Now do some tests of the bash subroutines" >&2
+unset DEBUG
+$(log_msg_if_debug "Die with Error since DEBUG is unset")
+if [[ "$?" -eq "0" ]]; then
+   echo "Should have died with an error..." >&2
+   exit 1
+fi
+echo "after DEBUG test"
+DEBUG=0
+$(log_msg_if_debug "Die with Error since too many options are input" "another option")
+
+echo "Successful"