diff --git a/src/angle_hybrid.cpp b/src/angle_hybrid.cpp
index 1780c4344e..8b638286fa 100644
--- a/src/angle_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/angle_hybrid.cpp
@@ -204,11 +204,13 @@ void AngleHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
   keywords = new char*[nstyles];
 
   // allocate each sub-style and call its settings() with subset of args
+  // allocate uses suffix, but don't store suffix version in keywords,
+  //   else syntax in coeff() will not match
   // define subset of args for a sub-style by skipping numeric args
   // one exception is 1st arg of style "table", which is non-numeric
   // need a better way to skip these exceptions
 
-  int sflag;
+  int dummy;
   nstyles = 0;
   i = 0;
 
@@ -222,8 +224,8 @@ void AngleHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"none") == 0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Angle style hybrid cannot have none as an argument");
 
-    styles[nstyles] = force->new_angle(arg[i],1,sflag);
-    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[i],sflag);
+    styles[nstyles] = force->new_angle(arg[i],1,dummy);
+    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[i],0);
 
     istyle = i;
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"table") == 0) i++;
diff --git a/src/bond_hybrid.cpp b/src/bond_hybrid.cpp
index 63357a12e5..1137035ea8 100644
--- a/src/bond_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/bond_hybrid.cpp
@@ -203,11 +203,13 @@ void BondHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
   keywords = new char*[nstyles];
 
   // allocate each sub-style and call its settings() with subset of args
+  // allocate uses suffix, but don't store suffix version in keywords,
+  //   else syntax in coeff() will not match
   // define subset of args for a sub-style by skipping numeric args
   // one exception is 1st arg of style "table", which is non-numeric
   // need a better way to skip these exceptions
 
-  int sflag;
+  int dummy;
   nstyles = 0;
   i = 0;
 
@@ -220,8 +222,8 @@ void BondHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"none") == 0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Bond style hybrid cannot have none as an argument");
 
-    styles[nstyles] = force->new_bond(arg[i],1,sflag);
-    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[i],sflag);
+    styles[nstyles] = force->new_bond(arg[i],1,dummy);
+    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[i],0);
 
     istyle = i;
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"table") == 0) i++;
diff --git a/src/dihedral_hybrid.cpp b/src/dihedral_hybrid.cpp
index 6f8ef5a093..72c0c0510a 100644
--- a/src/dihedral_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/dihedral_hybrid.cpp
@@ -205,11 +205,13 @@ void DihedralHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
   keywords = new char*[nstyles];
 
   // allocate each sub-style and call its settings() with subset of args
+  // allocate uses suffix, but don't store suffix version in keywords,
+  //   else syntax in coeff() will not match
   // define subset of args for a sub-style by skipping numeric args
   // one exception is 1st arg of style "table", which is non-numeric
   // need a better way to skip these exceptions
 
-  int sflag;
+  int dummy;
   nstyles = 0;
   i = 0;
 
@@ -224,8 +226,8 @@ void DihedralHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"none") == 0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Dihedral style hybrid cannot have none as an argument");
 
-    styles[nstyles] = force->new_dihedral(arg[i],1,sflag);
-    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[i],sflag);
+    styles[nstyles] = force->new_dihedral(arg[i],1,dummy);
+    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[i],0);
 
     istyle = i;
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"table") == 0) i++;
diff --git a/src/improper_hybrid.cpp b/src/improper_hybrid.cpp
index 09e73ac9b5..140bd2e9dc 100644
--- a/src/improper_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/improper_hybrid.cpp
@@ -205,11 +205,13 @@ void ImproperHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
   keywords = new char*[nstyles];
 
   // allocate each sub-style and call its settings() with subset of args
+  // allocate uses suffix, but don't store suffix version in keywords,
+  //   else syntax in coeff() will not match
   // define subset of args for a sub-style by skipping numeric args
   // one exception is 1st arg of style "table", which is non-numeric
   // need a better way to skip these exceptions
 
-  int sflag;
+  int dummy;
   nstyles = 0;
   i = 0;
 
@@ -224,8 +226,8 @@ void ImproperHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"none") == 0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Improper style hybrid cannot have none as an argument");
 
-    styles[nstyles] = force->new_improper(arg[i],1,sflag);
-    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[i],sflag);
+    styles[nstyles] = force->new_improper(arg[i],1,dummy);
+    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[i],0);
 
     istyle = i;
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"table") == 0) i++;
diff --git a/src/pair_hybrid.cpp b/src/pair_hybrid.cpp
index 15de14db13..291449a4db 100644
--- a/src/pair_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/pair_hybrid.cpp
@@ -216,10 +216,12 @@ void PairHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
   multiple = new int[narg];
 
   // allocate each sub-style
+  // allocate uses suffix, but don't store suffix version in keywords,
+  //   else syntax in coeff() will not match
   // call settings() with set of args that are not pair style names
   // use force->pair_map to determine which args these are
 
-  int iarg,jarg,sflag;
+  int iarg,jarg,dummy;
 
   iarg = 0;
   nstyles = 0;
@@ -229,8 +231,8 @@ void PairHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
     if (strcmp(arg[iarg],"none") == 0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Pair style hybrid cannot have none as an argument");
 
-    styles[nstyles] = force->new_pair(arg[iarg],1,sflag);
-    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[iarg],sflag);
+    styles[nstyles] = force->new_pair(arg[iarg],1,dummy);
+    force->store_style(keywords[nstyles],arg[iarg],0);
 
     jarg = iarg + 1;
     while (jarg < narg && !force->pair_map->count(arg[jarg])) jarg++;