diff --git a/pcmdi_utils/land_sea_mask.py b/pcmdi_utils/land_sea_mask.py
index e7a6d2c..d708694 100644
--- a/pcmdi_utils/land_sea_mask.py
+++ b/pcmdi_utils/land_sea_mask.py
@@ -472,10 +472,16 @@ def generate_land_sea_mask__global_land_mask(ds, maskname="lsmask"):
     """
 
     for key in list(ds.coords.keys()):
-        if key in ["lat", "latitude"] or ds[key].attrs["axis"] == "Y":
+        if key in ["lat", "latitude"]:
             lat_key = key
-        elif key in ["lon", "longitude"] or ds[key].attrs["axis"] == "X":
+        elif key in ["lon", "longitude"]:
             lon_key = key
+        else:
+            if "axis" in list(ds["latitude"].attrs.keys()):
+                if ds["latitude"].attrs["axis"] == "Y":
+                    lat_key = key
+                elif ds["latitude"].attrs["axis"] == "X":
+                    lon_key = key
 
     lat = ds[lat_key].to_numpy()
     lon = ds[lon_key].to_numpy()