diff --git a/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.cc b/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.cc
index 135a907b4b..f137281819 100644
--- a/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.cc
+++ b/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.cc
@@ -933,3 +933,14 @@ ConcatString raw_magic_str(Dictionary i_edict, GrdFileType file_type) {
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+bool is_req_level_match(const ConcatString &s1, const ConcatString &s2) {
+   bool match = true;
+
+   // No match if either is non-empty and they are not equal.
+   if((s1.nonempty() || s2.nonempty()) && !(s1 == s2)) match = false;
+
+   return(match);
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.h b/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.h
index 7ac6399f6b..ebcc1fd91d 100644
--- a/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.h
+++ b/src/libcode/vx_data2d/var_info.h
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ class EnsVarInfo {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 ConcatString raw_magic_str(Dictionary i_edict, GrdFileType file_type);
+bool is_req_level_match(const ConcatString &, const ConcatString &);
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
diff --git a/src/tools/core/grid_stat/grid_stat_conf_info.cc b/src/tools/core/grid_stat/grid_stat_conf_info.cc
index ad5cdfb395..abef1ade0d 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/grid_stat/grid_stat_conf_info.cc
+++ b/src/tools/core/grid_stat/grid_stat_conf_info.cc
@@ -198,11 +198,13 @@ void GridStatConfInfo::process_config(GrdFileType ftype,
                      vx_opt[i].obs_info->uv_index()  >= 0) {
                      mlog << Warning << "\nGridStatConfInfo::process_config() -> "
                           << "For U-wind, found multiple matching V-wind field array entries! "
-                          << "Set the \"level\" strings to differentiate between them.\n\n";
+                          << "Using the first match found. Set the \"level\" strings to "
+                          << "differentiate between them.\n\n";
+                  }
+                  else {
+                     vx_opt[i].fcst_info->set_uv_index(j);
+                     vx_opt[i].obs_info->set_uv_index(j);
                   }
-
-                  vx_opt[i].fcst_info->set_uv_index(j);
-                  vx_opt[i].obs_info->set_uv_index(j);
                }
             }
 
@@ -232,7 +234,8 @@ void GridStatConfInfo::process_config(GrdFileType ftype,
                      vx_opt[i].obs_info->uv_index()  >= 0) {
                      mlog << Warning << "\nGridStatConfInfo::process_config() -> "
                           << "For V-wind, found multiple matching U-wind field array entries! "
-                          << "Set the \"level\" strings to differentiate between them.\n\n";
+                          << "Using the first match found. Set the \"level\" strings to "
+                          << "differentiate between them.\n\n";
                   }
 
                   vx_opt[i].fcst_info->set_uv_index(j);
@@ -937,18 +940,8 @@ bool GridStatVxOpt::is_uv_match(const GridStatVxOpt &v) const {
 
    //
    // Check that requested forecast and observation levels match.
-   // Requested levels are empty for python embedding.
-   //
-        if( (  fcst_info->req_level_name().nonempty() ||
-             v.fcst_info->req_level_name().nonempty()) &&
-           !(  fcst_info->req_level_name() ==
-             v.fcst_info->req_level_name())) match = false;
-
-   else if( (  obs_info->req_level_name().nonempty() ||
-             v.obs_info->req_level_name().nonempty()) &&
-           !(  obs_info->req_level_name() ==
-             v.obs_info->req_level_name())) match = false;
-
+   // Requested levels are optional for python embedding and may be empty.
+   // Check that the masking regions and interpolation options match.
    //
    // The following do not impact matched pairs:
    //    desc, var_name, var_suffix,
@@ -962,10 +955,14 @@ bool GridStatVxOpt::is_uv_match(const GridStatVxOpt &v) const {
    //    hss_ec_value, rank_corr_flag, output_flag, nc_info
    //
 
-   else if(!(mask_grid   == v.mask_grid  ) ||
-           !(mask_poly   == v.mask_poly  ) ||
-           !(mask_name   == v.mask_name  ) ||
-           !(interp_info == v.interp_info)) match = false;
+   if(!is_req_level_match(  fcst_info->req_level_name(),
+                          v.fcst_info->req_level_name()) ||
+      !is_req_level_match(  obs_info->req_level_name(),
+                          v.obs_info->req_level_name()) ||
+      !(mask_grid   == v.mask_grid  ) ||
+      !(mask_poly   == v.mask_poly  ) ||
+      !(mask_name   == v.mask_name  ) ||
+      !(interp_info == v.interp_info)) match = false;
 
    return(match);
 }
diff --git a/src/tools/core/point_stat/point_stat_conf_info.cc b/src/tools/core/point_stat/point_stat_conf_info.cc
index d3c30dcaaa..a94aac2e9b 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/point_stat/point_stat_conf_info.cc
+++ b/src/tools/core/point_stat/point_stat_conf_info.cc
@@ -192,7 +192,8 @@ void PointStatConfInfo::process_config(GrdFileType ftype) {
                      vx_opt[i].vx_pd.obs_info->uv_index()  >= 0) {
                      mlog << Warning << "\nPointStatConfInfo::process_config() -> "
                           << "For U-wind, found multiple matching V-wind field array entries! "
-                          << "Set the \"level\" strings to differentiate between them.\n\n";
+                          << "Using the first match found. Set the \"level\" strings to "
+                          << "differentiate between them.\n\n";
                   }
 
                   vx_opt[i].vx_pd.fcst_info->set_uv_index(j);
@@ -226,11 +227,13 @@ void PointStatConfInfo::process_config(GrdFileType ftype) {
                      vx_opt[i].vx_pd.obs_info->uv_index()  >= 0) {
                      mlog << Warning << "\nPointStatConfInfo::process_config() -> "
                           << "For U-wind, found multiple matching V-wind field array entries! "
-                          << "Set the \"level\" strings to differentiate between them.\n\n";
+                          << "Using the first match found. Set the \"level\" strings to "
+                          << "differentiate between them.\n\n";
+                  }
+                  else {
+                     vx_opt[i].vx_pd.fcst_info->set_uv_index(j);
+                     vx_opt[i].vx_pd.obs_info->set_uv_index(j);
                   }
-
-                  vx_opt[i].vx_pd.fcst_info->set_uv_index(j);
-                  vx_opt[i].vx_pd.obs_info->set_uv_index(j);
                }
             }
 
@@ -737,18 +740,8 @@ bool PointStatVxOpt::is_uv_match(const PointStatVxOpt &v) const {
 
    //
    // Check that requested forecast and observation levels match.
-   // Requested levels are empty for python embedding.
-   //
-        if( (  vx_pd.fcst_info->req_level_name().nonempty() ||
-             v.vx_pd.fcst_info->req_level_name().nonempty()) &&
-           !(  vx_pd.fcst_info->req_level_name() ==
-             v.vx_pd.fcst_info->req_level_name())) match = false;
-
-   else if( (  vx_pd.obs_info->req_level_name().nonempty() ||
-             v.vx_pd.obs_info->req_level_name().nonempty()) &&
-           !(  vx_pd.obs_info->req_level_name() ==
-             v.vx_pd.obs_info->req_level_name())) match = false;
-
+   // Requested levels are optional for python embedding and may be empty.
+   // Check that several other config options also match.
    //
    // The following do not impact matched pairs:
    //    fcat_ta, ocat_ta,
@@ -759,20 +752,24 @@ bool PointStatVxOpt::is_uv_match(const PointStatVxOpt &v) const {
    //    rank_corr_flag, output_flag
    //
 
-   else if(!(beg_ds         == v.beg_ds        ) ||
-           !(end_ds         == v.end_ds        ) ||
-           !(land_flag      == v.land_flag     ) ||
-           !(topo_flag      == v.topo_flag     ) ||
-           !(mask_grid      == v.mask_grid     ) ||
-           !(mask_poly      == v.mask_poly     ) ||
-           !(mask_sid       == v.mask_sid      ) ||
-           !(mask_llpnt     == v.mask_llpnt    ) ||
-           !(mask_name      == v.mask_name     ) ||
-           !(interp_info    == v.interp_info   ) ||
-           !(msg_typ        == v.msg_typ       ) ||
-           !(duplicate_flag == v.duplicate_flag) ||
-           !(obs_summary    == v.obs_summary   ) ||
-           !(obs_perc       == v.obs_perc      )) match = false;
+   if(!is_req_level_match(  vx_pd.fcst_info->req_level_name(),
+                          v.vx_pd.fcst_info->req_level_name()) ||
+      !is_req_level_match(  vx_pd.obs_info->req_level_name(),
+                          v.vx_pd.obs_info->req_level_name()) ||
+      !(beg_ds         == v.beg_ds        ) ||
+      !(end_ds         == v.end_ds        ) ||
+      !(land_flag      == v.land_flag     ) ||
+      !(topo_flag      == v.topo_flag     ) ||
+      !(mask_grid      == v.mask_grid     ) ||
+      !(mask_poly      == v.mask_poly     ) ||
+      !(mask_sid       == v.mask_sid      ) ||
+      !(mask_llpnt     == v.mask_llpnt    ) ||
+      !(mask_name      == v.mask_name     ) ||
+      !(interp_info    == v.interp_info   ) ||
+      !(msg_typ        == v.msg_typ       ) ||
+      !(duplicate_flag == v.duplicate_flag) ||
+      !(obs_summary    == v.obs_summary   ) ||
+      !(obs_perc       == v.obs_perc      )) match = false;
 
    return(match);
 }