diff --git a/src/MISC/fix_efield.cpp b/src/MISC/fix_efield.cpp
index cf7a9ecb9d..c6b74b6857 100644
--- a/src/MISC/fix_efield.cpp
+++ b/src/MISC/fix_efield.cpp
@@ -327,16 +327,24 @@ void FixEfield::post_force(int vflag)
     modify->clearstep_compute();
 
     if (xstyle == EQUAL) ex = qe2f * input->variable->compute_equal(xvar);
-    else if (xstyle == ATOM && efield)
-      input->variable->compute_atom(xvar,igroup,&efield[0][0],3,0);
+    else if (xstyle == ATOM) {
+      if (efield) input->variable->compute_atom(xvar,igroup,&efield[0][0],3,0);
+      else input->variable->compute_atom(xvar,igroup,NULL,3,0);
+    }
     if (ystyle == EQUAL) ey = qe2f * input->variable->compute_equal(yvar);
-    else if (ystyle == ATOM && efield)
-      input->variable->compute_atom(yvar,igroup,&efield[0][1],3,0);
+    else if (ystyle == ATOM) {
+      if (efield) input->variable->compute_atom(yvar,igroup,&efield[0][1],3,0);
+      else input->variable->compute_atom(yvar,igroup,NULL,3,0);
+    }
     if (zstyle == EQUAL) ez = qe2f * input->variable->compute_equal(zvar);
-    else if (zstyle == ATOM && efield)
-      input->variable->compute_atom(zvar,igroup,&efield[0][2],3,0);
-    if (estyle == ATOM && efield)
-      input->variable->compute_atom(evar,igroup,&efield[0][3],4,0);
+    else if (zstyle == ATOM) {
+      if (efield) input->variable->compute_atom(zvar,igroup,&efield[0][2],3,0);
+      else input->variable->compute_atom(zvar,igroup,NULL,3,0);
+    }
+    if (estyle == ATOM) {
+      if (efield) input->variable->compute_atom(evar,igroup,&efield[0][3],4,0);
+      else input->variable->compute_atom(evar,igroup,NULL,4,0);
+    }
 
     modify->addstep_compute(update->ntimestep + 1);
 
diff --git a/src/compute_atom_molecule.cpp b/src/compute_atom_molecule.cpp
index 533d80362f..4442a72255 100644
--- a/src/compute_atom_molecule.cpp
+++ b/src/compute_atom_molecule.cpp
@@ -327,9 +327,9 @@ void ComputeAtomMolecule::compute_one(int m)
       maxatom = atom->nmax;
       memory->destroy(scratch);
       memory->create(scratch,maxatom,"atom/molecule:scratch");
-      peratom = scratch;
     }
 
+    peratom = scratch;
     input->variable->compute_atom(vidx,igroup,peratom,1,0);
     nstride = 1;
   }
diff --git a/src/fix_ave_atom.cpp b/src/fix_ave_atom.cpp
index fabf33038e..844a8d118a 100644
--- a/src/fix_ave_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_ave_atom.cpp
@@ -355,8 +355,10 @@ void FixAveAtom::end_of_step()
     // evaluate atom-style variable
     // final argument = 1 sums result to array
 
-    } else if (which[m] == VARIABLE && array)
-      input->variable->compute_atom(n,igroup,&array[0][m],nvalues,1);
+    } else if (which[m] == VARIABLE) {
+      if (array) input->variable->compute_atom(n,igroup,&array[0][m],nvalues,1);
+      else input->variable->compute_atom(n,igroup,NULL,nvalues,1);
+    }
   }
 
   // done if irepeat < nrepeat
diff --git a/src/fix_ave_histo.cpp b/src/fix_ave_histo.cpp
index 0991b7c26a..c44d5b067f 100644
--- a/src/fix_ave_histo.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_ave_histo.cpp
@@ -464,6 +464,7 @@ FixAveHisto::FixAveHisto(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
   bin_list = NULL;
   vector = NULL;
   maxatom = 0;
+
   if (ave == WINDOW) {
     memory->create(stats_list,nwindow,4,"histo:stats_list");
     memory->create(bin_list,nwindow,nbins,"ave/histo:bin_list");
diff --git a/src/fix_store_state.cpp b/src/fix_store_state.cpp
index 6863576884..014c9a773d 100644
--- a/src/fix_store_state.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_store_state.cpp
@@ -468,7 +468,10 @@ void FixStoreState::end_of_step()
       // evaluate atom-style variable
 
       } else if (which[m] == VARIABLE)
-        input->variable->compute_atom(n,igroup,&values[0][m],nvalues,0);
+        if (values) 
+          input->variable->compute_atom(n,igroup,&values[0][m],nvalues,0);
+        else
+          input->variable->compute_atom(n,igroup,NULL,nvalues,0);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/velocity.cpp b/src/velocity.cpp
index f27aa57058..043a36690d 100644
--- a/src/velocity.cpp
+++ b/src/velocity.cpp
@@ -463,14 +463,20 @@ void Velocity::set(int narg, char **arg)
 
   } else {
     if (xstyle == EQUAL) vx = input->variable->compute_equal(xvar);
-    else if (xstyle == ATOM && vfield)
-      input->variable->compute_atom(xvar,igroup,&vfield[0][0],3,0);
+    else if (xstyle == ATOM) {
+      if (vfield) input->variable->compute_atom(xvar,igroup,&vfield[0][0],3,0);
+      else input->variable->compute_atom(xvar,igroup,NULL,3,0);
+    }
     if (ystyle == EQUAL) vy = input->variable->compute_equal(yvar);
-    else if (ystyle == ATOM && vfield)
-      input->variable->compute_atom(yvar,igroup,&vfield[0][1],3,0);
+    else if (ystyle == ATOM) {
+      if (vfield) input->variable->compute_atom(yvar,igroup,&vfield[0][1],3,0);
+      else input->variable->compute_atom(yvar,igroup,NULL,3,0);
+    }
     if (zstyle == EQUAL) vz = input->variable->compute_equal(zvar);
-    else if (zstyle == ATOM && vfield)
-      input->variable->compute_atom(zvar,igroup,&vfield[0][2],3,0);
+    else if (zstyle == ATOM) {
+      if (vfield) input->variable->compute_atom(zvar,igroup,&vfield[0][2],3,0);
+      else input->variable->compute_atom(zvar,igroup,NULL,3,0);
+    }
 
     for (int i = 0; i < nlocal; i++)
       if (mask[i] & groupbit) {