diff --git a/CarpetX/src/schedule.cxx b/CarpetX/src/schedule.cxx
index 9d3138a8a..3cbd72158 100644
--- a/CarpetX/src/schedule.cxx
+++ b/CarpetX/src/schedule.cxx
@@ -1515,12 +1515,30 @@ void CycleTimelevels(cGH *restrict const cctkGH) {
         }
         // All time levels (except the current) must be valid everywhere for
         // checkpointed groups
-        if (groupdata.do_checkpoint)
-          for (int tl = (ntls == 1 ? 0 : 1); tl < ntls; ++tl)
-            for (int vi = 0; vi < groupdata.numvars; ++vi)
+        bool presync_only = CCTK_EQUALS(presync_mode, "presync-only");
+        if (presync_only && groupdata.do_checkpoint) {
+          std::set<int> sync_set;
+          for (int tl = (ntls == 1 ? 0 : 1); tl < ntls; ++tl) {
+            for (int vi = 0; vi < groupdata.numvars; ++vi) {
+              sync_set.insert(gi);
+            }
+          }
+          if (!sync_set.empty()) {
+            std::vector<int> sync_vec(sync_set.begin(), sync_set.end());
+            SyncGroupsByDirI(cctkGH, sync_vec.size(), sync_vec.data(), nullptr);
+          }
+        }
+        // check that what we have is correct
+        if (groupdata.do_checkpoint) {
+          std::set<int> sync_set;
+          for (int tl = (ntls == 1 ? 0 : 1); tl < ntls; ++tl) {
+            for (int vi = 0; vi < groupdata.numvars; ++vi) {
               error_if_invalid(groupdata, vi, tl, make_valid_all(), []() {
                 return "CycleTimelevels for the state vector";
               });
+            }
+          }
+        }
       });
       for (int vi = 0; vi < groupdata0.numvars; ++vi) {
         if (ntls0 > 1)