diff --git a/adapter/PreciceInterface.c b/adapter/PreciceInterface.c
index d358e1c..f80c1ef 100644
--- a/adapter/PreciceInterface.c
+++ b/adapter/PreciceInterface.c
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ void Precice_Setup( char * configFilename, char * participantName, SimulationDat
 	// Initialize coupling data
 	Precice_InitializeData( sim );
 
+	// find if coupling is implicit or explicit. Implicit coupling will return true at the very beginning and explicit will always return false
+	sim->coupling_implicit = Precice_IsWriteCheckpointRequired();
+
 }
 
 void Precice_InitializeData( SimulationData * sim )
@@ -111,6 +114,11 @@ bool Precice_IsWriteCheckpointRequired()
 	return precicec_isActionRequired( "write-iteration-checkpoint" );
 }
 
+bool Precice_IsCouplingTimestepComplete()
+{
+	return precicec_isCouplingTimestepComplete();
+}
+
 void Precice_FulfilledReadCheckpoint()
 {
 	precicec_fulfilledAction( "read-iteration-checkpoint" );
diff --git a/adapter/PreciceInterface.h b/adapter/PreciceInterface.h
index cf7ef69..71114d0 100644
--- a/adapter/PreciceInterface.h
+++ b/adapter/PreciceInterface.h
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ typedef struct SimulationData {
 	double coupling_init_dtheta;
 	double precice_dt;
 	double solver_dt;
+	bool coupling_implicit;
 
 } SimulationData;
 
@@ -186,6 +187,12 @@ bool Precice_IsReadCheckpointRequired();
  */
 bool Precice_IsWriteCheckpointRequired();
 
+/**
+ * @brief Returns true if coupling timestep is complete
+ * @return
+ */
+bool Precice_IsCouplingTimestepComplete();
+
 /**
  * @brief Tells preCICE that the checkpoint has been read
  */
diff --git a/nonlingeo_precice.c b/nonlingeo_precice.c
index c20c542..4ac7dab 100644
--- a/nonlingeo_precice.c
+++ b/nonlingeo_precice.c
@@ -1089,6 +1089,8 @@ void nonlingeo_precice(double **cop, ITG *nk, ITG **konp, ITG **ipkonp, char **l
   /* Adapter: Create the interfaces and initialize the coupling */
   printf("About to enter preCICE setup in Calculix with names %s and %s \n", preciceParticipantName, configFilename);
   Precice_Setup( configFilename, preciceParticipantName, &simulationData );
+  // Initialize for the first step because Precice_IsCouplingTimestepComplete will return false until the end of the first step
+  if( !simulationData.coupling_implicit ) Precice_WriteIterationCheckpoint( &simulationData, vini );
   
   /* Adapter: Give preCICE the control of the time stepping */
   while( Precice_IsCouplingOngoing() ){
@@ -1114,11 +1116,14 @@ void nonlingeo_precice(double **cop, ITG *nk, ITG **konp, ITG **ipkonp, char **l
 	  
 	  memcpy(&vini[0],&vold[0],sizeof(double)*mt**nk);
 
-	  if( Precice_IsWriteCheckpointRequired() )
+	  if( Precice_IsWriteCheckpointRequired() ) // implicit coupling
       	  {
           	Precice_WriteIterationCheckpoint( &simulationData, vini );
           	Precice_FulfilledWriteCheckpoint();
           }
+      if( Precice_IsCouplingTimestepComplete() && !simulationData.coupling_implicit ) // explicit coupling
+      Precice_WriteIterationCheckpoint( &simulationData, vini );
+
 	  
 	  for(k=0;k<*nboun;++k){xbounini[k]=xbounact[k];}
 	  if((*ithermal==1)||(*ithermal>=3)){