diff --git a/src/compute_property_atom.cpp b/src/compute_property_atom.cpp
index 56282052c4..336fbed5b0 100644
--- a/src/compute_property_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/compute_property_atom.cpp
@@ -330,14 +330,14 @@ ComputePropertyAtom::ComputePropertyAtom(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       int flag;
       index[i] = atom->find_custom(&arg[iarg][2],flag);
       if (index[i] < 0 || flag != 0)
-        error->all(FLERR,"Compute property/atom floating point "
+        error->all(FLERR,"Compute property/atom integer "
                    "vector does not exist");
       pack_choice[i] = &ComputePropertyAtom::pack_iname;
     } else if (strstr(arg[iarg],"d_") == arg[iarg]) {
       int flag;
       index[i] = atom->find_custom(&arg[iarg][2],flag);
       if (index[i] < 0 || flag != 1)
-        error->all(FLERR,"Compute property/atom integer "
+        error->all(FLERR,"Compute property/atom floating point "
                    "vector does not exist");
       pack_choice[i] = &ComputePropertyAtom::pack_dname;
 
diff --git a/src/molecule.cpp b/src/molecule.cpp
index 7ca3a6ff55..f72bebe802 100644
--- a/src/molecule.cpp
+++ b/src/molecule.cpp
@@ -1129,8 +1129,8 @@ void Molecule::allocate()
   if (radiusflag) memory->create(radius,natoms,"molecule:radius");
   if (rmassflag) memory->create(rmass,natoms,"molecule:rmass");
 
-  // always allocate num_bond,num_angle,etc and nspecial even if not in file
-  // initialize to 0 even if not in molecule file
+  // always allocate num_bond,num_angle,etc and special+nspecial
+  // even if not in molecule file, initialize to 0
   // this is so methods that use these arrays don't have to check they exist
 
   memory->create(num_bond,natoms,"molecule:num_bond");
@@ -1141,8 +1141,10 @@ void Molecule::allocate()
   for (int i = 0; i < natoms; i++) num_dihedral[i] = 0;
   memory->create(num_improper,natoms,"molecule:num_improper");
   for (int i = 0; i < natoms; i++) num_improper[i] = 0;
+
+  memory->create(special,natoms,maxspecial,"molecule:special");
   memory->create(nspecial,natoms,3,"molecule:nspecial");
-  for (int i = 0; i < natoms; i++) 
+  for (int i = 0; i < natoms; i++)
     nspecial[i][0] = nspecial[i][1] = nspecial[i][2] = 0;
 
   if (bondflag) {
@@ -1189,9 +1191,6 @@ void Molecule::allocate()
 		   "molecule:improper_atom4");
   }
 
-  if (specialflag)
-    memory->create(special,natoms,maxspecial,"molecule:special");
-
   if (shakeflag) {
     memory->create(shake_flag,natoms,"molecule:shake_flag");
     memory->create(shake_atom,natoms,4,"molecule:shake_flag");