diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ac94c46ff30..f83211291ef 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ sorc/ocnicepost.fd
 #------------------------------
 # jobs symlinks
 # scripts symlinks
-scripts/exglobal_prep_ocean_obs.py
+dev/scripts/exglobal_prep_ocean_obs.py
 # ush symlinks
 ush/bufr2ioda_insitu_profile_argo.py
 ush/bufr2ioda_insitu_profile_bathy.py
diff --git a/dev/workflow/rocoto/gfs_cycled_xml.py b/dev/workflow/rocoto/gfs_cycled_xml.py
index 6b4542251de..f3792ad43eb 100644
--- a/dev/workflow/rocoto/gfs_cycled_xml.py
+++ b/dev/workflow/rocoto/gfs_cycled_xml.py
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ def get_cycledefs(self):
                     interval_metp_str = interval_gfs_str
 
                 strings.append(f'\t<cycledef group="metp">{sdate_metp_str} {edate_metp_str} {interval_metp_str}</cycledef>')
-                strings.append(f'\t<cycledef group="last_gfs">{edate_gfs_str} {edate_gfs_str} 24:00:00</cycledef>')
 
         strings.append('')
         strings.append('')
diff --git a/dev/workflow/rocoto/gfs_tasks.py b/dev/workflow/rocoto/gfs_tasks.py
index 4f2c52bc4f1..f3e7c3d3e69 100644
--- a/dev/workflow/rocoto/gfs_tasks.py
+++ b/dev/workflow/rocoto/gfs_tasks.py
@@ -2001,24 +2001,48 @@ def metp(self):
         deps = []
         dep_dict = {'type': 'task', 'name': f'{self.run}_arch_vrfy'}
         deps.append(rocoto.add_dependency(dep_dict))
-        if self._base["interval_gfs"] < to_timedelta("24H"):
-            n_lookback = self._base["interval_gfs"] // to_timedelta("6H")
-            for lookback in range(1, n_lookback + 1):
-                deps2 = []
+        interval_gfs = self._base.get('interval_gfs')
+        assim_freq = self._base['assim_freq']
+
+        if interval_gfs < to_timedelta("24H"):
+            n_lookback = int(interval_gfs // to_timedelta(f"{assim_freq}H")) - 1
+            # Check if the previous up to `n_lookback` arch_vrfy tasks have completed
+            # For interval=6, there are no lookbacks
+            # For interval=12, check lookback=1
+            # For interval=18, check lookback=1,2
+            # Only lookback if arch_vrfy is not valid for this cycle
+            if n_lookback > 0:
                 dep_dict = {'type': 'taskvalid', 'name': f'{self.run}_arch_vrfy', 'condition': 'not'}
+                deps2 = []
                 deps2.append(rocoto.add_dependency(dep_dict))
-                for lookback2 in range(1, lookback):
-                    offset = timedelta_to_HMS(-to_timedelta(f'{6 * lookback2}H'))
-                    dep_dict = {'type': 'cycleexist', 'condition': 'not', 'offset': offset}
-                    deps2.append(rocoto.add_dependency(dep_dict))
-
-                edate_gfs = self._base['EDATE']
-                edate_metp = edate_gfs.replace(hour=18)
-                edate_metp_diff = edate_metp - edate_gfs
-                offset = timedelta_to_HMS(-to_timedelta(f'{edate_metp_diff}H'))
-                dep_dict = {'type': 'task', 'name': f'{self.run}_arch_vrfy', 'offset': offset}
+                deps3 = []
+                for lookback in range(n_lookback):
+                    offset = timedelta_to_HMS(-to_timedelta(f'{assim_freq * (lookback+1)}H'))
+                    dep_dict = {'type': 'task', 'name': f'{self.run}_arch_vrfy', 'offset': offset}
+                    deps3.append(rocoto.add_dependency(dep_dict))
+
+                deps2.append(rocoto.create_dependency(dep=deps3, dep_condition='or'))
+                deps.append(rocoto.create_dependency(dep=deps2, dep_condition='and'))
+
+        # Lastly, check that the last arch_vrfy job is done
+        # This only happens if the metp cycle is not aligned with the last_gfs cycle
+        sdate_gfs = self._base.get('SDATE_GFS')
+        edate = self._base.get('EDATE')
+        edate_metp = self._base.get('EDATE').replace(hour=(24 - assim_freq))
+        n_intervals = int((edate - sdate_gfs) // interval_gfs)
+        edate_gfs = sdate_gfs + n_intervals * interval_gfs
+        metp_gfs_offset = edate_metp - edate_gfs
+        if metp_gfs_offset > to_timedelta("0H") and metp_gfs_offset < to_timedelta("24H"):
+            deps2 = []
+            dep_dict = {'type': 'taskvalid', 'name': f'{self.run}_arch_vrfy', 'condition': 'not'}
+            deps2.append(rocoto.add_dependency(dep_dict))
+            dep_dict = {'type': 'task', 'name': f'{self.run}_arch_vrfy', 'offset': timedelta_to_HMS(-metp_gfs_offset)}
+            deps2.append(rocoto.add_dependency(dep_dict))
+            for i in range(1, int((metp_gfs_offset.seconds / 3600) // assim_freq)):
+                dep_dict = {'type': 'cycleexist', 'offset': timedelta_to_HMS(-to_timedelta(f'{assim_freq * i}H')), 'condition': 'not'}
                 deps2.append(rocoto.add_dependency(dep_dict))
-                deps.append(rocoto.create_dependency(dep_condition='and', dep=deps2))
+
+            deps.append(rocoto.create_dependency(dep=deps2, dep_condition='and'))
 
         dependencies = rocoto.create_dependency(dep_condition='or', dep=deps)
 
diff --git a/dev/workflow/rocoto/tasks.py b/dev/workflow/rocoto/tasks.py
index 5a892af4d21..b5d48e994bb 100644
--- a/dev/workflow/rocoto/tasks.py
+++ b/dev/workflow/rocoto/tasks.py
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ def get_resource(self, task_name):
         service_task = task_name in Tasks.SERVICE_TASKS
 
         if task_name not in Tasks.VALID_TASKS:
-            raise KeyError(f"ERROR {task_name} is not a valid tasks!")
+            raise KeyError(f"ERROR {task_name} is not a valid task!")
 
         # Combine the task configuration with the system configuration
         if service_task: