diff --git a/src/user/user_flexcomp.cc b/src/user/user_flexcomp.cc
index 3165d9e7..2f4aa428 100644
--- a/src/user/user_flexcomp.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_flexcomp.cc
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ mjCFlexcomp::mjCFlexcomp(void) {
 bool mjCFlexcomp::Make(mjSpec* spec, mjsBody* body, char* error, int error_sz) {
   mjCModel* model = (mjCModel*)spec->element;
   mjsFlex* dflex = def.spec.flex;
-  int dim = dflex->dim;
+
   bool radial = (type == mjFCOMPTYPE_BOX ||
                  type == mjFCOMPTYPE_CYLINDER ||
                  type == mjFCOMPTYPE_ELLIPSOID);
@@ -115,13 +115,13 @@ bool mjCFlexcomp::Make(mjSpec* spec, mjsBody* body, char* error, int error_sz) {
   }
 
   // check dim
-  if (dim < 1 || dim > 3) {
+  if (dflex->dim < 1 || dflex->dim > 3) {
     return comperr(error, "Invalid dim, must be between 1 and 3", error_sz);
   }
 
   // check counts
   for (int i=0; i < 3; i++) {
-    if (count[i] < 1 || ((radial && count[i] < 2) && dim == 3)) {
+    if (count[i] < 1 || ((radial && count[i] < 2) && dflex->dim == 3)) {
       return comperr(error, "Count too small", error_sz);
     }
   }
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ bool mjCFlexcomp::Make(mjSpec* spec, mjsBody* body, char* error, int error_sz) {
 
   // force flatskin shading for box, cylinder and 3D grid
   if (type == mjFCOMPTYPE_BOX || type == mjFCOMPTYPE_CYLINDER ||
-      (type == mjFCOMPTYPE_GRID && dim == 3)) {
+      (type == mjFCOMPTYPE_GRID && dflex->dim == 3)) {
     dflex->flatskin = true;
   }
 
@@ -199,16 +199,16 @@ bool mjCFlexcomp::Make(mjSpec* spec, mjsBody* body, char* error, int error_sz) {
   if (pinrange.size()%2) {
     return comperr(error, "Pin range number must be multiple of 2", error_sz);
   }
-  if (pingrid.size()%dim) {
+  if (pingrid.size()%dflex->dim) {
     return comperr(error, "Pin grid number must be multiple of dim", error_sz);
   }
-  if (pingridrange.size()%(2*dim)) {
+  if (pingridrange.size()%(2*dflex->dim)) {
     return comperr(error, "Pin grid range number of must be multiple of 2*dim", error_sz);
   }
   if (type != mjFCOMPTYPE_GRID && !(pingrid.empty() && pingridrange.empty())) {
     return comperr(error, "Pin grid(range) can only be used with grid type", error_sz);
   }
-  if (dim == 1 && !(pingrid.empty() && pingridrange.empty())) {
+  if (dflex->dim == 1 && !(pingrid.empty() && pingridrange.empty())) {
     return comperr(error, "Pin grid(range) cannot be used with dim=1", error_sz);
   }
 
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ bool mjCFlexcomp::Make(mjSpec* spec, mjsBody* body, char* error, int error_sz) {
   }
 
   // check element size
-  if (element.size()%(dim+1)) {
+  if (element.size()%(dflex->dim+1)) {
     return comperr(error, "Element size must be a multiple of dim+1", error_sz);
   }
 
@@ -289,41 +289,41 @@ bool mjCFlexcomp::Make(mjSpec* spec, mjsBody* body, char* error, int error_sz) {
     }
 
     // process pingrid
-    for (int i=0; i < (int)pingrid.size(); i+=dim) {
+    for (int i=0; i < (int)pingrid.size(); i+=dflex->dim) {
       // check range
-      for (int k=0; k < dim; k++) {
+      for (int k=0; k < dflex->dim; k++) {
         if (pingrid[i+k] < 0 || pingrid[i+k] >= count[k]) {
           return comperr(error, "pingrid out of range", error_sz);
         }
       }
 
       // set
-      if (dim == 2) {
+      if (dflex->dim == 2) {
         pinned[GridID(pingrid[i], pingrid[i+1])] = true;
       }
-      else if (dim == 3) {
+      else if (dflex->dim == 3) {
         pinned[GridID(pingrid[i], pingrid[i+1], pingrid[i+2])] = true;
       }
     }
 
     // process pingridrange
-    for (int i=0; i < (int)pingridrange.size(); i+=2*dim) {
+    for (int i=0; i < (int)pingridrange.size(); i+=2*dflex->dim) {
       // check range
-      for (int k=0; k < 2*dim; k++) {
-        if (pingridrange[i+k] < 0 || pingridrange[i+k] >= count[k%dim]) {
+      for (int k=0; k < 2*dflex->dim; k++) {
+        if (pingridrange[i+k] < 0 || pingridrange[i+k] >= count[k%dflex->dim]) {
           return comperr(error, "pingridrange out of range", error_sz);
         }
       }
 
       // set
-      if (dim == 2) {
+      if (dflex->dim == 2) {
         for (int ix=pingridrange[i]; ix <= pingridrange[i+2]; ix++) {
           for (int iy=pingridrange[i+1]; iy <= pingridrange[i+3]; iy++) {
             pinned[GridID(ix, iy)] = true;
           }
         }
       }
-      else if (dim==3) {
+      else if (dflex->dim==3) {
         for (int ix=pingridrange[i]; ix <= pingridrange[i+3]; ix++) {
           for (int iy=pingridrange[i+1]; iy <= pingridrange[i+4]; iy++) {
             for (int iz=pingridrange[i+2]; iz <= pingridrange[i+5]; iz++) {
diff --git a/test/user/testdata/cube_22_ascii_vol_gmshApp_missing_dim.xml b/test/user/testdata/cube_22_ascii_vol_gmshApp_missing_dim.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c08c9ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/user/testdata/cube_22_ascii_vol_gmshApp_missing_dim.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+<mujoco model="gmsh">
+  <option timestep="0.01" integrator="implicitfast" solver="CG"/>
+
+  <asset>
+    <texture type="skybox" builtin="gradient" rgb1=".3 .5 .7" rgb2="0 0 0" width="512" height="512"/>
+    <texture name="grid" type="2d" builtin="checker" width="512" height="512" rgb1=".1 .2 .3" rgb2=".2 .3 .4"/>
+    <material name="grid" texture="grid" texrepeat="1 1" texuniform="true" reflectance=".2"/>
+  </asset>
+
+  <visual>
+    <headlight diffuse="0.9 0.9 0.9" ambient="0.3 0.3 0.3" specular="0 0 0"/>
+    <map force="0.1" zfar="30"/>
+    <rgba haze="0.15 0.25 0.35 1"/>
+    <quality shadowsize="4096"/>
+    <global offwidth="800" offheight="800"/>
+  </visual>
+
+  <worldbody>
+    <geom name="floor" size="1 1 .05" type="plane" material="grid" condim="3"/>
+    <light directional="false" diffuse=".2 .2 .2" specular="0 0 0" pos="0 0 5" dir="0 0 -1"/>
+    <flexcomp name="cube" type="gmsh" rgba=".8 .2 .2 1" radius="0.001" pos="0 0 0.3"
+              mass="10" scale="1 1 1" file="cube_22_ascii_vol_gmshApp.msh">
+      <edge equality="true"/>
+    </flexcomp>
+  </worldbody>
+</mujoco>
diff --git a/test/user/testdata/shark_22_ascii_fTetWild.xml b/test/user/testdata/shark_22_ascii_vol_fTetWild.xml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/user/testdata/shark_22_ascii_fTetWild.xml
rename to test/user/testdata/shark_22_ascii_vol_fTetWild.xml
diff --git a/test/user/testdata/shark_22_binary_fTetWild.xml b/test/user/testdata/shark_22_binary_vol_fTetWild.xml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/user/testdata/shark_22_binary_fTetWild.xml
rename to test/user/testdata/shark_22_binary_vol_fTetWild.xml
diff --git a/test/user/user_flex_test.cc b/test/user/user_flex_test.cc
index d55f433e..1e2c168d 100644
--- a/test/user/user_flex_test.cc
+++ b/test/user/user_flex_test.cc
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, RigidFlex) {
   mj_deleteData(d);
 }
 
-TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHBinaryGMSH_41_Success) {
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHBinary_41_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
       GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/cube_41_binary_vol_gmshApp.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
@@ -252,12 +252,13 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHBinaryGMSH_41_Success) {
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 14);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 24);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 3);
   mj_step(m, d);
   mj_deleteModel(m);
   mj_deleteData(d);
 }
 
-TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHBinaryGMSH_22_Success) {
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHBinary_22_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
       GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/cube_22_binary_vol_gmshApp.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
@@ -266,12 +267,13 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHBinaryGMSH_22_Success) {
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 14);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 24);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 3);
   mj_step(m, d);
   mj_deleteModel(m);
   mj_deleteData(d);
 }
 
-TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceBinaryGMSH_41_Success) {
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceBinary_41_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
       GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/cube_41_binary_surf_gmshApp.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
@@ -280,6 +282,7 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceBinaryGMSH_41_Success) {
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 14);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 24);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 2);
 
   // first node x y z
   EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_xvert0[0], -0.5 );
@@ -296,7 +299,7 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceBinaryGMSH_41_Success) {
   mj_deleteData(d);
 }
 
-TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceBinaryGMSH_22_Success) {
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceBinary_22_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
       GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/cube_22_binary_surf_gmshApp.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
@@ -305,6 +308,7 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceBinaryGMSH_22_Success) {
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 14);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 24);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 2);
 
   // first node x y z
   EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_xvert0[0], -0.5 );
@@ -323,19 +327,20 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceBinaryGMSH_22_Success) {
 
 TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHBinaryFTETWILD_22_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
-      GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/shark_22_binary_fTetWild.xml");
+      GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/shark_22_binary_vol_fTetWild.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
   mjModel* m = mj_loadXML(xml_path.c_str(), 0, error.data(), error.size());
   ASSERT_THAT(m, NotNull()) << error.data();
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 429);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 1073);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 3);
   mj_step(m, d);
   mj_deleteModel(m);
   mj_deleteData(d);
 }
 
-TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCIIGMSH_41_Success) {
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCII_41_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
       GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/cube_41_ascii_vol_gmshApp.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
@@ -344,12 +349,13 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCIIGMSH_41_Success) {
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 14);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 24);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 3);
   mj_step(m, d);
   mj_deleteModel(m);
   mj_deleteData(d);
 }
 
-TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCIIGMSH_22_Success) {
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCII_22_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
       GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/cube_22_ascii_vol_gmshApp.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
@@ -358,12 +364,13 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCIIGMSH_22_Success) {
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 14);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 24);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 3);
   mj_step(m, d);
   mj_deleteModel(m);
   mj_deleteData(d);
 }
 
-TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceASCIIGMSH_41_Success) {
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceASCII_41_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
       GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/cube_41_ascii_surf_gmshApp.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
@@ -372,6 +379,7 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceASCIIGMSH_41_Success) {
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 14);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 24);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 2);
 
   // first node x y z
   EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_xvert0[0], -0.5 );
@@ -388,7 +396,7 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceASCIIGMSH_41_Success) {
   mj_deleteData(d);
 }
 
-TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceASCIIGMSH_22_Success) {
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceASCII_22_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
       GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/cube_22_ascii_surf_gmshApp.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
@@ -397,6 +405,7 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceASCIIGMSH_22_Success) {
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 14);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 24);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 2);
 
   // first node x y z
   EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_xvert0[0], -0.5 );
@@ -415,13 +424,14 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHSurfaceASCIIGMSH_22_Success) {
 
 TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCIIFTETWILD_22_Success) {
   const std::string xml_path =
-      GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/shark_22_ascii_fTetWild.xml");
+      GetTestDataFilePath("user/testdata/shark_22_ascii_vol_fTetWild.xml");
   std::array<char, 1024> error;
   mjModel* m = mj_loadXML(xml_path.c_str(), 0, error.data(), error.size());
   ASSERT_THAT(m, NotNull()) << error.data();
   mjData* d = mj_makeData(m);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexvert, 425);
   EXPECT_EQ(m->nflexelem, 1070);
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 3);
   mj_step(m, d);
   mj_deleteModel(m);
   mj_deleteData(d);
@@ -517,5 +527,15 @@ TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCII_22_MissingElement_Fail) {
   mj_deleteModel(m);
 }
 
+TEST_F(UserFlexTest, LoadMSHASCII_dim_missing_in_xml) {
+  const std::string xml_path =
+      GetTestDataFilePath(
+          "user/testdata/cube_22_ascii_vol_gmshApp_missing_dim.xml");
+  std::array<char, 1024> error;
+  mjModel* m = mj_loadXML(xml_path.c_str(), 0, error.data(), error.size());
+  EXPECT_EQ(m->flex_dim[0], 3);
+  mj_deleteModel(m);
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 }  // namespace mujoco