diff --git a/esmvalcore/cmor/_fixes/cmip5/ec_earth.py b/esmvalcore/cmor/_fixes/cmip5/ec_earth.py
index 6830092698..212a43f61c 100644
--- a/esmvalcore/cmor/_fixes/cmip5/ec_earth.py
+++ b/esmvalcore/cmor/_fixes/cmip5/ec_earth.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 """Fixes for EC-Earth model."""
 
+from collections.abc import Iterable
+
 import iris
 import numpy as np
 from dask import array as da
@@ -132,7 +134,9 @@ def fix_metadata(self, cubes):
 class Pr(Fix):
     """Fixes for pr."""
 
-    def fix_metadata(self, cubes):
+    def fix_metadata(
+        self, cubes: Iterable[iris.cube.Cube]
+    ) -> iris.cube.CubeList:
         """Fix time coordinate.
 
         Last file (2000-2009) has erroneously duplicated points
@@ -160,6 +164,8 @@ def fix_metadata(self, cubes):
                 else:
                     # erase erroneously copy-pasted points
                     select = np.unique(time_coord.points, return_index=True)[1]
-                    new_list.append(cube[select])
+                    new_cube = cube[select]
+                    iris.util.promote_aux_coord_to_dim_coord(new_cube, "time")
+                    new_list.append(new_cube)
 
         return new_list
diff --git a/tests/integration/cmor/_fixes/cmip5/test_ec_earth.py b/tests/integration/cmor/_fixes/cmip5/test_ec_earth.py
index 8390e9385b..14dacf4d68 100644
--- a/tests/integration/cmor/_fixes/cmip5/test_ec_earth.py
+++ b/tests/integration/cmor/_fixes/cmip5/test_ec_earth.py
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def setUp(self):
             units="days since 1850-01-01",
         )
 
-        correct_time_coord = AuxCoord(
+        correct_time_coord = DimCoord(
             points=[1.0, 2.0, 3.0],
             var_name="time",
             standard_name="time",
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.correct_cube = CubeList(
             [Cube(np.ones(3), var_name="pr", units="kg m-2 s-1")]
         )
-        self.correct_cube[0].add_aux_coord(correct_time_coord, 0)
+        self.correct_cube[0].add_dim_coord(correct_time_coord, 0)
 
         self.fix = Pr(None)
 
@@ -232,10 +232,10 @@ def test_pr_fix_metadata(self):
         out_wrong_cube = self.fix.fix_metadata(self.wrong_cube)
         out_correct_cube = self.fix.fix_metadata(self.correct_cube)
 
-        time = out_wrong_cube[0].coord("time")
+        time = out_wrong_cube[0].coord("time", dim_coords=True)
         assert time == self.time_coord
 
-        time = out_correct_cube[0].coord("time")
+        time = out_correct_cube[0].coord("time", dim_coords=True)
         assert time == self.time_coord
 
     def test_pr_fix_metadata_no_time(self):