diff --git a/src/geo/GeoIterator.cc b/src/geo/GeoIterator.cc
index 89e465fa0..e77b8dc4a 100644
--- a/src/geo/GeoIterator.cc
+++ b/src/geo/GeoIterator.cc
@@ -45,23 +45,29 @@ int GeoIterator::init(grib_handle*, grib_arguments*)
     NOTIMP;
 }
 
-
+// The C public API for this does not have a way of returning an error,
+// So any exception thrown by eckit will is fatal!
 int GeoIterator::next(double* lat, double* lon, double* val) const
 {
     if (iter_ == end_) {
         return 0;  // (false)
     }
+    try {
+        const auto p  = *iter_;
+        const auto& q = std::get<eckit::geo::PointLonLat>(p);
 
-    const auto p  = *iter_;
-    const auto& q = std::get<eckit::geo::PointLonLat>(p);
+        *lat = q.lat;
+        *lon = q.lon;
+        if (val != nullptr && data_ != nullptr) {
+            *val = data_[iter_->index()];
+        }
 
-    *lat = q.lat;
-    *lon = q.lon;
-    if (val != nullptr && data_ != nullptr) {
-        *val = data_[iter_->index()];
+        ++iter_;
+    }
+    catch(std::exception& e) {
+        grib_context_log(h_->context, GRIB_LOG_FATAL, "GeoIterator::next: Exception thrown (%s)", e.what());
+        return 0;
     }
-
-    ++iter_;
     return 1;  // (true)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/geo/iterator/grib_iterator.cc b/src/geo/iterator/grib_iterator.cc
index 711f840c3..329ad4fbf 100644
--- a/src/geo/iterator/grib_iterator.cc
+++ b/src/geo/iterator/grib_iterator.cc
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ grib_iterator* grib_iterator_new(const grib_handle* ch, unsigned long flags, int
     grib_iterator* i = (grib_iterator*)grib_context_malloc_clear(ch->context, sizeof(grib_iterator));
 
     #if defined(HAVE_ECKIT_GEO)
-    static const auto* eckit_geo = codes_getenv("ECCODES_ECKIT_GEO");
-    if (eckit_geo != nullptr && strcmp(eckit_geo, "1") == 0) {
+    const int eckit_geo = ch->context->eckit_geo; // check environment variable
+    if (eckit_geo) {
         struct InitMain
         {
             InitMain()
diff --git a/src/grib_api_internal.h b/src/grib_api_internal.h
index 256f270e8..c1c0b1f24 100644
--- a/src/grib_api_internal.h
+++ b/src/grib_api_internal.h
@@ -777,6 +777,7 @@ struct grib_context
     int bufr_multi_element_constant_arrays;
     int grib_data_quality_checks;
     int single_precision;
+    int eckit_geo;
     FILE* log_stream;
     grib_trie* classes;
     grib_trie* lists;
diff --git a/src/grib_context.cc b/src/grib_context.cc
index 1b9a98d11..2e067038e 100644
--- a/src/grib_context.cc
+++ b/src/grib_context.cc
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ static grib_context default_grib_context = {
     0,              /* bufr_multi_element_constant_arrays */
     0,              /* grib_data_quality_checks   */
     0,              /* single_precision           */
+    0,              /* eckit_geo             */
     0,              /* log_stream                 */
     0,              /* classes                    */
     0,              /* lists                      */
@@ -406,18 +407,22 @@ grib_context* grib_context_get_default()
         const char* bufr_multi_element_constant_arrays  = NULL;
         const char* grib_data_quality_checks            = NULL;
         const char* single_precision                    = NULL;
+        const char* eckit_geo                           = NULL;
         const char* file_pool_max_opened_files          = NULL;
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_FLOATING_POINT_EXCEPTIONS
         feenableexcept(FE_ALL_EXCEPT & ~FE_INEXACT);
 #endif
 
-        write_on_fail                       = codes_getenv("ECCODES_GRIB_WRITE_ON_FAIL");
         bufrdc_mode                         = getenv("ECCODES_BUFRDC_MODE_ON");
         bufr_set_to_missing_if_out_of_range = getenv("ECCODES_BUFR_SET_TO_MISSING_IF_OUT_OF_RANGE");
         bufr_multi_element_constant_arrays  = getenv("ECCODES_BUFR_MULTI_ELEMENT_CONSTANT_ARRAYS");
         grib_data_quality_checks            = getenv("ECCODES_GRIB_DATA_QUALITY_CHECKS");
         single_precision                    = getenv("ECCODES_SINGLE_PRECISION");
+        file_pool_max_opened_files          = getenv("ECCODES_FILE_POOL_MAX_OPENED_FILES");
+        eckit_geo                           = getenv("ECCODES_ECKIT_GEO");
+        // The following had an equivalent env. var in grib_api
+        write_on_fail                       = codes_getenv("ECCODES_GRIB_WRITE_ON_FAIL");
         large_constant_fields               = codes_getenv("ECCODES_GRIB_LARGE_CONSTANT_FIELDS");
         no_abort                            = codes_getenv("ECCODES_NO_ABORT");
         debug                               = codes_getenv("ECCODES_DEBUG");
@@ -429,7 +434,6 @@ grib_context* grib_context_get_default()
         no_spd                              = codes_getenv("ECCODES_GRIB_NO_SPD");
         keep_matrix                         = codes_getenv("ECCODES_GRIB_KEEP_MATRIX");
         show_hour_stepunit                  = codes_getenv("ECCODES_GRIB_HOURLY_STEPS_WITH_UNITS");
-        file_pool_max_opened_files          = getenv("ECCODES_FILE_POOL_MAX_OPENED_FILES");
 
         /* On UNIX, when we read from a file we get exactly what is in the file on disk.
          * But on Windows a file can be opened in binary or text mode. In binary mode the system behaves exactly as in UNIX.
@@ -564,6 +568,7 @@ grib_context* grib_context_get_default()
         default_grib_context.bufr_multi_element_constant_arrays = bufr_multi_element_constant_arrays ? atoi(bufr_multi_element_constant_arrays) : 0;
         default_grib_context.grib_data_quality_checks = grib_data_quality_checks ? atoi(grib_data_quality_checks) : 0;
         default_grib_context.single_precision = single_precision ? atoi(single_precision) : 0;
+        default_grib_context.eckit_geo = eckit_geo ? atoi(eckit_geo) : 0;
         default_grib_context.file_pool_max_opened_files = file_pool_max_opened_files ? atoi(file_pool_max_opened_files) : DEFAULT_FILE_POOL_MAX_OPENED_FILES;
     }