diff --git a/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py b/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
index b75660890fb79ac56fad634c2cff84c97ccf536e..e2132f1a48c675d1b0fc811c461d088df55734c6 100755
--- a/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
+++ b/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
@@ -282,21 +282,10 @@ def set_obserr_assimilate_in_obsseqout(oso, outfile="./obs_seq.out"):
         # modify observation error of each kind sequentially
         where_oso_iskind = oso.df.kind == kind
         
-        if obscfg["error_assimilate"] == False:
-            # osf_prior = obsseq.ObsSeq(cluster.dartrundir + "/obs_seq.final")  # this file will be generated by `evaluate()`
-            
-            # where_osf_iskind = osf_prior.df.kind == kind
-
-            # assim_err = get_parametrized_error(obscfg, osf_prior.df[where_osf_iskind])
-            # oso.df.loc[where_oso_iskind, 'variance'] = assim_err**2
-            #assert np.allclose(assim_err, oso.df['variance']**2)  # check
+        try:
+            oso.df.loc[where_oso_iskind, 'variance'] = obscfg["error_assimilate"]**2
+        except:
             pass
-        else:
-            # overwrite with user-defined values
-            try:
-                oso.df.loc[where_oso_iskind, 'variance'] = obscfg["error_assimilate"]**2
-            except:
-                pass
 
     oso.to_dart(outfile)