diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 7348063b..44924ca8 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ importFrom(dplyr,summarize)
 importFrom(dplyr,ungroup)
 importFrom(fst,metadata_fst)
 importFrom(fst,read.fst)
+importFrom(graphics,par)
 importFrom(httr,GET)
 importFrom(httr,POST)
 importFrom(httr,RETRY)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index d5afd6dc..ffd3bd61 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+nhdplusTools 1.3.1
+==========
+
+- no longer check ring direction in `get_nhdplushr()` to avoid very slow run time on some polygon layers.
+
 nhdplusTools 1.3.0
 ==========
 
diff --git a/R/get_nhdplushr.R b/R/get_nhdplushr.R
index 1b54e858..cb5e7b63 100644
--- a/R/get_nhdplushr.R
+++ b/R/get_nhdplushr.R
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ get_nhdplushr <- function(hr_dir, out_gpkg = NULL,
 
   for(layer in layers) {
     if(!is.null(out_gpkg) && layer %in% layer_names & !overwrite) {
-      out <- read_sf(out_gpkg, layer)
+      out <- read_sf(out_gpkg, layer, check_ring_dir = FALSE)
     } else {
 
       layer_set <- lapply(gdbs, get_hr_data, layer = layer, ...)
diff --git a/R/plot_nhdplus.R b/R/plot_nhdplus.R
index 41062be5..de8f0b05 100644
--- a/R/plot_nhdplus.R
+++ b/R/plot_nhdplus.R
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 #' `sf::st_transform(x, 3857)` prior to adding to the plot.
 #'
 #' @export
+#' @importFrom graphics par
 #' @examples
 #' \donttest{
 #' options("rgdal_show_exportToProj4_warnings"="none")
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test_02_subset_extras.R b/tests/testthat/test_02_subset_extras.R
index 4453c434..36fd93ff 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test_02_subset_extras.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test_02_subset_extras.R
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ test_that("by rpu", {
 
   suppressWarnings(sample_flines <- dplyr::left_join(
     dplyr::select(sample_flines, COMID, RPUID, TerminalPa,
-                  ArbolateSu, DnHydroseq, Pathlength, FCODE, DnLevelPat),
+                  ArbolateSu, DnHydroseq, Pathlength, FCODE, DnLevelPat,
+                  DnMinorHyd),
     prepare_nhdplus(sample_flines,
                     0, 0, 0, FALSE), by = "COMID"))
 
@@ -95,7 +96,8 @@ test_that("big rpu test", {
   vaa <- get_vaa(atts = c("comid", "pathlength", "lengthkm",
                           "hydroseq", "dnhydroseq", "levelpathi",
                           "rpuid", "vpuid", "fcode", "arbolatesu",
-                          "terminalfl", "terminalpa", "dnlevelpat"))
+                          "terminalfl", "terminalpa", "dnlevelpat",
+                          "dnminorhyd"))
 
 
   vaa_sub <- dplyr::filter(vaa, vpuid == "17")