diff --git a/packages/seacas/applications/nem_slice/elb.h b/packages/seacas/applications/nem_slice/elb.h
index a427b49ecb..6255820f51 100644
--- a/packages/seacas/applications/nem_slice/elb.h
+++ b/packages/seacas/applications/nem_slice/elb.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
-#define ELB_VERSION "5.03 (2024/07/30)"
+#define ELB_VERSION "5.04 (2024/08/19)"
 #define UTIL_NAME   "nem_slice"
 #define ELB_FALSE   0
 #define ELB_TRUE    1
diff --git a/packages/seacas/applications/nem_slice/elb_loadbal.C b/packages/seacas/applications/nem_slice/elb_loadbal.C
index 1b0b059517..2b42dbd5b5 100644
--- a/packages/seacas/applications/nem_slice/elb_loadbal.C
+++ b/packages/seacas/applications/nem_slice/elb_loadbal.C
@@ -1637,23 +1637,25 @@ namespace {
 
             if (etype == BAR2 || etype == BAR3) {
               size_t nhold = graph->sur_elem[side_nodes[0]].size();
-              for (size_t ncnt = 0; ncnt < nhold; ncnt++) {
-                hold_elem[ncnt] = graph->sur_elem[side_nodes[0]][ncnt];
-              }
+              if (nhold > 1) {
+                for (size_t ncnt = 0; ncnt < nhold; ncnt++) {
+                  hold_elem[ncnt] = graph->sur_elem[side_nodes[0]][ncnt];
+                }
 
-              for (int ncnt = 0; ncnt < nnodes; ncnt++) {
-                /* Find elements connected to both node '0' and node 'ncnt+1' */
-                nelem = find_inter(Data(hold_elem), Data(graph->sur_elem[side_nodes[(ncnt + 1)]]),
-                                   nhold, graph->sur_elem[side_nodes[(ncnt + 1)]].size(),
-                                   Data(pt_list));
+                for (int ncnt = 0; ncnt < nnodes; ncnt++) {
+                  /* Find elements connected to both node '0' and node 'ncnt+1' */
+                  nelem = find_inter(Data(hold_elem), Data(graph->sur_elem[side_nodes[(ncnt + 1)]]),
+                                     nhold, graph->sur_elem[side_nodes[(ncnt + 1)]].size(),
+                                     Data(pt_list));
 
-                if (nelem < 2) {
-                  break;
-                }
+                  if (nelem < 2) {
+                    break;
+                  }
 
-                nhold = nelem;
-                for (int ncnt2 = 0; ncnt2 < nelem; ncnt2++) {
-                  hold_elem[ncnt2] = hold_elem[pt_list[ncnt2]];
+                  nhold = nelem;
+                  for (int ncnt2 = 0; ncnt2 < nelem; ncnt2++) {
+                    hold_elem[ncnt2] = hold_elem[pt_list[ncnt2]];
+                  }
                 }
               }
             }