diff --git a/pysurfex/configuration.py b/pysurfex/configuration.py
index 3bf238f..77b307c 100644
--- a/pysurfex/configuration.py
+++ b/pysurfex/configuration.py
@@ -735,6 +735,8 @@ def __init__(self, env, conf):
             self.update_setting("SURFEX#ASSIM#SCHEMES#ISBA", "EKF")
         if anasurf == "ENKF":
             self.update_setting("SURFEX#ASSIM#SCHEMES#ISBA", "ENKF")
+        if anasurf == "ISBA_NONE":
+            self.update_setting("SURFEX#ASSIM#SCHEMES#ISBA", "NONE")
 
         # Active EKF control variables from CVAR_M
         if "NNCV" in env:
diff --git a/pysurfex/geo.py b/pysurfex/geo.py
index 3647cff..7e4ffe4 100644
--- a/pysurfex/geo.py
+++ b/pysurfex/geo.py
@@ -912,6 +912,21 @@ def get_geo_object(from_json):
     raise KeyError("nam_pgd_grid not set!")
 
 
+def get_geo_object_from_json_file(fname):
+    """Get a surfex geometry object from a dictionary.
+
+    Args:
+        fname (str): Domain definition file.
+
+    Returns:
+        surfex.Geo: Surfex geometry.
+
+    """
+    with open(fname, mode="r", encoding="utf8") as fh:
+        domain_dict = json.load(fh)
+    return get_geo_object(domain_dict)
+
+
 def set_domain(settings, domain, hm_mode=False):
     """Set domain.
 
diff --git a/pysurfex/variable.py b/pysurfex/variable.py
index 464c240..f3cecf8 100644
--- a/pysurfex/variable.py
+++ b/pysurfex/variable.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from .datetime_utils import as_timedelta
 from .fa import Fa
 from .file import SurfexFileVariable, get_surfex_io_object
-from .geo import get_geo_object
+from .geo import get_geo_object_from_json_file
 from .grib import Grib, Grib1Variable, Grib2Variable
 from .input_methods import get_datasources
 from .netcdf import Netcdf, NetCDFReadVariable
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def get_filehandler(self, validtime, cache=None, previoustime=None):
                     geo_in = self.var_dict["geo_input"]
                 elif "geo_input_file" in self.var_dict:
                     geo_in_file = self.var_dict["geo_input_file"]
-                    geo_in = get_geo_object(open(geo_in_file, "r", encoding="utf-8"))
+                    geo_in = get_geo_object_from_json_file(geo_in_file)
 
                 file_handler = get_surfex_io_object(
                     filename, fileformat=fileformat, filetype=filetype, geo=geo_in