diff --git a/dispatch/BESRequestHandlerList.cc b/dispatch/BESRequestHandlerList.cc
index 1537ac9b74..fa7dd7c46b 100644
--- a/dispatch/BESRequestHandlerList.cc
+++ b/dispatch/BESRequestHandlerList.cc
@@ -240,6 +240,9 @@ void BESRequestHandlerList::execute_current(BESDataHandlerInterface &dhi) {
         //  expensive, even when the container is intelligently written (DMR++ documents
         //  can be many megabytes in size). Fix this mess so that get_container_type()
         //  works without all of the handlers calling access() twice. jhrg 2/18/25
+        //  SBL 1.31.26 - Update: NgapOwnedContainer::access() now just sets the container type
+        //  and does not return the dmrpp string, which is handled in NgapOwnedContainer::alt_access()
+        //  all other container access fcts remain the same
         dhi.container->access();
 
         // Given the kind of thing in the DHI's container (netcdf file, ...) find the
diff --git a/modules/dmrpp_module/DmrppRequestHandler.cc b/modules/dmrpp_module/DmrppRequestHandler.cc
index b9c8ff2652..46c216a124 100644
--- a/modules/dmrpp_module/DmrppRequestHandler.cc
+++ b/modules/dmrpp_module/DmrppRequestHandler.cc
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ using namespace bes;
 using namespace http;
 using namespace libdap;
 using namespace std;
+using namespace ngap;
 
 // These should be set in the Makefile.am. jhrg 11/23/24
 #ifndef MODULE_NAME
@@ -325,6 +326,7 @@ catch (...) {
  */
 void DmrppRequestHandler::get_dmrpp_from_container_or_cache(BESContainer *container, DMR *dmr) {
     try {
+        auto ngo_cont = dynamic_cast<ngap::NgapOwnedContainer*>(container);
         // If the container is an NGAP container (or maybe other types in the future),
         // the DMR++ itself might be returned as a string by access(). If the container
         // did not come from the NGAP handler, the return value might be a string that
@@ -341,7 +343,7 @@ void DmrppRequestHandler::get_dmrpp_from_container_or_cache(BESContainer *contai
             DmrppTypeFactory factory(dmz);
             dmr->set_factory(&factory);
 
-            string dmrpp_content = container->access();
+            string dmrpp_content = ngo_cont->alt_access();
 
             dmz->parse_xml_string(dmrpp_content);
 
diff --git a/modules/dmrpp_module/Makefile.am b/modules/dmrpp_module/Makefile.am
index 4ee7d73031..c27b26093c 100644
--- a/modules/dmrpp_module/Makefile.am
+++ b/modules/dmrpp_module/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ CXXFLAGS_DEBUG = -g3 -O0  -Wall -W -Wcast-align
 AM_LDFLAGS = 
 include $(top_srcdir)/coverage.mk
 
-SUBDIRS = ngap_container dmrpp_transmitter build_dmrpp_h4 . unit-tests tests data tests_build_dmrpp get_dmrpp
+SUBDIRS = ngap_container dmrpp_transmitter . build_dmrpp_h4 unit-tests tests data tests_build_dmrpp get_dmrpp
 
 lib_besdir=$(libdir)/bes
 lib_bes_LTLIBRARIES = libdmrpp_module.la
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ DMRPP_MODULE = DmrppModule.cc DmrppRequestHandler.cc DmrppModule.h DmrppRequestH
 libdmrpp_module_la_SOURCES = $(BES_HDRS) $(BES_SRCS) $(DMRPP_MODULE)
 libdmrpp_module_la_LDFLAGS = -avoid-version -module
 libdmrpp_module_la_LIBADD = -L$(builddir)/ngap_container -lngap $(BES_DISPATCH_LIB) \
-    $(BES_HTTP_LIB) $(DAP_SERVER_LIBS) $(DAP_CLIENT_LIBS) \
+    $(BES_HTTP_LIB) $(BES_DAP_LIB) $(DAP_SERVER_LIBS) $(DAP_CLIENT_LIBS) \
     $(H5_LDFLAGS) $(H5_LIBS) $(OPENSSL_LDFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) -ltest-types \
     -Ldmrpp_transmitter -ldmrpp_return_as
 
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ h5common.h: Makefile
 build_dmrpp_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(H5_CPPFLAGS) -I$(top_srcdir)/modules/hdf5_handler
 build_dmrpp_SOURCES = $(BES_SRCS) $(BES_HDRS) DmrppRequestHandler.cc DmrppRequestHandler.h \
     build_dmrpp.cc build_dmrpp_util.cc build_dmrpp_util.h h5common.cc h5common.h
-build_dmrpp_LDFLAGS = $(top_builddir)/dap/.libs/libdap_module.a
-build_dmrpp_LDADD = $(BES_DISPATCH_LIB) $(BES_HTTP_LIB) $(H5_LDFLAGS) \
-    $(H5_LIBS) $(DAP_SERVER_LIBS) $(DAP_CLIENT_LIBS) $(OPENSSL_LDFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) \
-    $(XML2_LIBS) $(BYTESWAP_LIBS) -lz
+build_dmrpp_LDFLAGS =
+build_dmrpp_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/dap/.libs/libdap_module.a -L$(builddir)/ngap_container -lngap \
+$(BES_DISPATCH_LIB) $(BES_HTTP_LIB) $(H5_LDFLAGS)  $(H5_LIBS) $(DAP_SERVER_LIBS) $(DAP_CLIENT_LIBS) \
+$(OPENSSL_LDFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) $(XML2_LIBS) $(BYTESWAP_LIBS) -lz
 
 # jhrg 6/2/23 $(BES_EXTRA_LIBS)
 
diff --git a/modules/dmrpp_module/build_dmrpp_h4/Makefile.am b/modules/dmrpp_module/build_dmrpp_h4/Makefile.am
index 6b52380ee3..b67c070160 100644
--- a/modules/dmrpp_module/build_dmrpp_h4/Makefile.am
+++ b/modules/dmrpp_module/build_dmrpp_h4/Makefile.am
@@ -22,46 +22,29 @@ AM_CXXFLAGS=
 AM_LDFLAGS =
 include $(top_srcdir)/coverage.mk
 
-# SUBDIRS = . unit-tests tests
-
-# These tests will fail if the DmrApiTest also fails: tests jhrg 6/29/23
-
-#noinst_PROGRAMS = build_dmrpp_h4
 bin_PROGRAMS = build_dmrpp_h4
 
 build_dmrpp_h4_SOURCES = $(SRC) $(HDR)
 
-SRC = build_dmrpp_h4.cc build_dmrpp_util_h4.cc ../Chunk.cc ../DMRpp.cc ../DMZ.cc ../DmrppArray.cc ../DmrppByte.cc ../DmrppCommon.cc \
-   ../DmrppD4Enum.cc ../DmrppD4Group.cc ../DmrppD4Opaque.cc ../DmrppD4Sequence.cc ../DmrppFloat32.cc ../DmrppFloat64.cc \
-   ../DmrppInt16.cc ../DmrppInt32.cc ../DmrppInt64.cc ../DmrppInt8.cc ../DmrppStr.cc ../DmrppStructure.cc \
-   ../DmrppTypeFactory.cc ../DmrppUInt16.cc ../DmrppUInt32.cc ../DmrppUInt64.cc ../DmrppUrl.cc ../SuperChunk.cc \
-   ../DmrppRequestHandler.cc ../CurlHandlePool.cc ../vlsa_util.cc ../float_byteswap.cc
+SRC = build_dmrpp_h4.cc build_dmrpp_util_h4.cc
 
-HDR = build_dmrpp_util_h4.h ../Chunk.h ../DMRpp.h ../DMZ.h ../DmrppArray.h ../DmrppByte.h ../DmrppCommon.h \
-    ../DmrppD4Enum.h ../DmrppD4Group.h ../DmrppD4Opaque.h ../DmrppD4Sequence.h ../DmrppFloat32.h ../DmrppFloat64.h \
-    ../DmrppInt16.h ../DmrppInt32.h ../DmrppInt64.h ../DmrppInt8.h ../DmrppStr.h ../DmrppStructure.h \
-    ../DmrppTypeFactory.h ../DmrppUInt16.h ../DmrppUInt32.h ../DmrppUInt64.h ../DmrppUrl.h ../SuperChunk.h \
-    ../DmrppRequestHandler.h ../CurlHandlePool.h ../vlsa_util.h ../byteswap_compat.h ../float_byteswap.h
+HDR = build_dmrpp_util_h4.h
 
 build_dmrpp_h4_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS)
 
-#build_dmrpp_h4_LDFLAGS = $(HDFEOS2_LDFLAGS) $(HDFEOS2_LIBS) $(HDF4_LDFLAGS) $(BES_DAP_LIB_LDFLAGS)
 build_dmrpp_h4_LDFLAGS = $(HDFEOS2_LDFLAGS) $(HDF4_LDFLAGS) $(BES_DAP_LIB_LDFLAGS)
 
-# jhrg 12/18/23 $(top_builddir)/dap/.libs/libdap_module.a
+# The code in dmrpp_module now builds a convenience library that is then linked
+# with the DmrppRequestHandler and DmrppModule classes to make the module. That convenience library
+# is also used to make standalone programs like build_dmrpp_h4. SBL & JHRG 2.2.26
 
-build_dmrpp_h4_LDADD = $(BES_DISPATCH_LIB) $(BES_HTTP_LIB) $(DAP_SERVER_LIBS) $(DAP_CLIENT_LIBS) \
-    $(OPENSSL_LDFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) $(XML2_LIBS) $(BYTESWAP_LIBS) $(HDFEOS2_LIBS) $(HDF4_LIBS)
+build_dmrpp_h4_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/modules/dmrpp_module/.libs/libdmrpp_module.a \
+-L$(top_builddir)/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container -lngap \
+$(BES_DISPATCH_LIB) $(BES_DAP_LIB) $(BES_HTTP_LIB) $(DAP_SERVER_LIBS) $(DAP_CLIENT_LIBS) $(OPENSSL_LDFLAGS) \
+$(OPENSSL_LIBS) $(XML2_LIBS) $(BYTESWAP_LIBS) $(HDFEOS2_LIBS) $(HDF4_LIBS)
 
 lib_besdir=$(libdir)/bes
 
-# lib_bes_LTLIBRARIES = libcmr_module.la
-
-# libcmr_module_la_SOURCES = $(CMR_SRC) $(CMR_HDR)
-# libcmr_module_la_LDFLAGS = -avoid-version -module
-# libcmr_module_la_LIBADD = $(LIBADD)
-
-
 EXTRA_DIST = get_dmrpp_h4
 
 CLEANFILES = *~
diff --git a/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/NgapOwnedContainer.cc b/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/NgapOwnedContainer.cc
index 5b90362860..0270599e40 100644
--- a/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/NgapOwnedContainer.cc
+++ b/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/NgapOwnedContainer.cc
@@ -570,22 +570,39 @@ bool NgapOwnedContainer::get_dmrpp_from_cache_or_remote_source(string &dmrpp_str
  * @throws BESError if there is a problem making the remote request
  */
 string NgapOwnedContainer::access() {
-
-    string dmrpp_string;
-
-    // Get the DMR++ from the S3 bucket or the cache.
-    // get_dmrpp...() returns false for various caching errors, but throws if it cannot
-    // get the remote DMR++. jhrg 4/29/24
-    get_dmrpp_from_cache_or_remote_source(dmrpp_string);
-
-    set_attributes("as-string");    // This means access() returns a string. jhrg 10/19/23
     // Originally, this was either hard-coded (as it is now) or was set using the 'extension'
     // on the URL. But it's always a DMR++. jhrg 11/16/23
     set_container_type("dmrpp");
 
-    return dmrpp_string;
+    return "";
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief alternate version of ::access() that get the DMR++
+ *
+ * @note alternate version of ::access() that retrieve the dmrpp data,
+ * used in the RequestHandler
+ *
+ * @return The DMR++ as a string.
+ * @throws BESError if there is a problem making the remote request
+ */
+string NgapOwnedContainer::alt_access() {
+        string dmrpp_string;
+
+        // Get the DMR++ from the S3 bucket or the cache.
+        // get_dmrpp...() returns false for various caching errors, but throws if it cannot
+        // get the remote DMR++. jhrg 4/29/24
+        get_dmrpp_from_cache_or_remote_source(dmrpp_string);
+
+        set_attributes("as-string");    // This means access() returns a string. jhrg 10/19/23
+
+        // Originally, this was either hard-coded (as it is now) or was set using the 'extension'
+        // on the URL. But it's always a DMR++. jhrg 11/16/23
+        set_container_type("dmrpp");
+
+        return dmrpp_string;
+    }
+
 /** @brief dumps information about this object
  *
  * Displays the pointer value of this instance along with information about
diff --git a/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/NgapOwnedContainer.h b/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/NgapOwnedContainer.h
index 3be72acd60..0da283ee9d 100644
--- a/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/NgapOwnedContainer.h
+++ b/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/NgapOwnedContainer.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ class NgapOwnedContainer: public BESContainer {
     static std::string get_data_source_location() { return d_data_source_location; }
 
     std::string access() override;
+    std::string alt_access();
 
     bool release() override {
         return true;
diff --git a/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/unit-tests/NgapOwnedContainerTest.cc b/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/unit-tests/NgapOwnedContainerTest.cc
index 36a77b95b6..efe59a8d39 100644
--- a/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/unit-tests/NgapOwnedContainerTest.cc
+++ b/modules/dmrpp_module/ngap_container/unit-tests/NgapOwnedContainerTest.cc
@@ -305,6 +305,26 @@ class NgapOwnedContainerTest: public CppUnit::TestFixture {
         container.set_data_source_location(TEST_DATA_LOCATION);
 
         string dmrpp = container.access();
+        // .access() changed to only set the container type, SBL 1.23.26
+        // DBG2(cerr << "DMR++: " << dmrpp << '\n');
+        // CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE("The DMR++ should be in the string", !dmrpp.empty());
+
+        // string attrs = container.get_attributes();
+        // CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE("The container attributes should be 'as-string'", attrs == "as-string");
+
+        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE("The container type should be 'dmrpp'", container.get_container_type() == "dmrpp");
+    }
+
+    void test_alt_access() {
+        TEST_NAME;
+
+        NgapOwnedContainer container;
+        // The REST path will become data/d_int.h5
+        container.set_real_name("collections/data/granules/d_int.h5");
+        // Set the location of the data as a file:// URL for this test.
+        container.set_data_source_location(TEST_DATA_LOCATION);
+
+        string dmrpp = container.alt_access();
         DBG2(cerr << "DMR++: " << dmrpp << '\n');
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE("The DMR++ should be in the string", !dmrpp.empty());
 
@@ -338,7 +358,7 @@ class NgapOwnedContainerTest: public CppUnit::TestFixture {
         container.set_data_source_location(DMRPP_TEST_BUCKET_OPENDAP_AWS);
 
         string dmrpp; // = container.access();
-        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_NO_THROW_MESSAGE("This should not throw an exception", dmrpp = container.access());
+        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_NO_THROW_MESSAGE("This should not throw an exception", dmrpp = container.alt_access());
         DBG2(cerr << "DMR++: " << dmrpp << '\n');
         CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE("The response should not be empty", !dmrpp.empty());
         string dmrpp_str = R"(dmrpp:href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/cloudydap/ngap_owned/d_int.h5")";
@@ -423,6 +443,7 @@ class NgapOwnedContainerTest: public CppUnit::TestFixture {
     CPPUNIT_TEST(test_get_dmrpp_from_cache_or_remote_source_test_cache_use);
 
     CPPUNIT_TEST(test_access);
+    CPPUNIT_TEST(test_alt_access);
     CPPUNIT_TEST(test_access_s3);
 
     CPPUNIT_TEST(test_filter_response_injects_s3_data_urls);