diff --git a/Src/Base/AMReX_PODVector.H b/Src/Base/AMReX_PODVector.H
index 435ac287752..358021cb5f7 100644
--- a/Src/Base/AMReX_PODVector.H
+++ b/Src/Base/AMReX_PODVector.H
@@ -222,6 +222,12 @@ namespace amrex
     {
         extern AMREX_EXPORT Real growth_factor;
         inline Real GetGrowthFactor () { return growth_factor; }
+        inline void SetGrowthFactor (Real a_factor);
+
+        namespace detail
+        {
+            void ValidateUserInput ();
+        }
 
         void Initialize ();
     }
diff --git a/Src/Base/AMReX_PODVector.cpp b/Src/Base/AMReX_PODVector.cpp
index 07952caa5fc..4391ae2b705 100644
--- a/Src/Base/AMReX_PODVector.cpp
+++ b/Src/Base/AMReX_PODVector.cpp
@@ -6,28 +6,40 @@ namespace amrex::VectorGrowthStrategy
 {
     Real growth_factor = 1.5_rt;
 
-    void Initialize () {
-        ParmParse pp("amrex");
-        pp.queryAdd("vector_growth_factor", growth_factor);
-
-        // clamp user input to reasonable values
-        constexpr Real min_factor = 1.05_rt;
-        constexpr Real max_factor = 4._rt;
+    // clamp user input to reasonable values
+    constexpr Real min_factor = 1.001_rt;
+    constexpr Real max_factor = 4._rt;
 
-        if (growth_factor < min_factor) {
-            if (Verbose()) {
-                amrex::Print() << "Warning: user-provided vector growth factor is too small."
-                               << " Clamping to " << min_factor << ". \n";
+    namespace detail
+    {
+        void ValidateUserInput() {
+            if (growth_factor < min_factor) {
+                if (Verbose()) {
+                    amrex::Print() << "Warning: user-provided vector growth factor is too small."
+                                   << " Clamping to " << min_factor << ". \n";
+                }
+                growth_factor = min_factor;
             }
-            growth_factor = min_factor;
-        }
 
-        if (growth_factor > max_factor) {
-            if (Verbose()) {
-                amrex::Print() << "Warning: user-provided vector growth factor is too large."
-                               << " Clamping to " << max_factor << ". \n";
+            if (growth_factor > max_factor) {
+                if (Verbose()) {
+                    amrex::Print() << "Warning: user-provided vector growth factor is too large."
+                                   << " Clamping to " << max_factor << ". \n";
+                }
+                growth_factor = max_factor;
             }
-            growth_factor = max_factor;
         }
     }
+
+    void Initialize () {
+        ParmParse pp("amrex");
+        pp.queryAdd("vector_growth_factor", growth_factor);
+
+        detail::ValidateUserInput();
+    }
+
+    void SetGrowthFactor (Real a_factor) {
+        growth_factor = a_factor;
+        detail::ValidateUserInput();
+    }
 }