A RELATIVELY NON-ABSORBENT, YET SURFACE WETTABLE MATERIAL IS POSITIONED WITHIN A PORTION OF THE SPACE BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE CELL PACK AND CONTAINER OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL. THE SURFACE WETTABLE MATERIAL IMPROVES ELECTROLYTE DISTRIBUTION WITHIN CELL BY A WICKING OR CAPILLARY MECHANISM AND YET PREVENTS DENDRITIC GROWTH FROM BRIDGING AROUND THE EDGE OF THE SEPARATORS BY PROVIDING AN EXTENDED GROWTH PATH PERMEATED BY AN OXIDIZING GAS. IN AN ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT, A RELATIVELY ABSORBENT MATERIAL IS INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE SURFACE WETTABLE MATERIAL AND CONTAINER TO FUNCTION AS AN ELECTROLYTE WELL FOR PROPER DISTRIBUTION AND INCORPORATION OF ADDITIONAL ELECTROLYTE WITHIN THE CELL.