diff --git a/src/fix_heat.cpp b/src/fix_heat.cpp
index d41aa4abea..97e0ed6a7f 100644
--- a/src/fix_heat.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_heat.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ idregion(NULL), hstr(NULL), vheat(NULL), vscale(NULL)
   // optional args
 
   iregion = -1;
-  
+
   int iarg = 5;
   while (iarg < narg) {
     if (strcmp(arg[iarg],"region") == 0) {
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ void FixHeat::init()
     else error->all(FLERR,"Variable for fix heat is invalid style");
   }
 
+  // check for rigid bodies in region (done here for performance reasons)
+  if (modify->check_rigid_region_overlap(groupbit,domain->regions[iregion]))
+    error->warning(FLERR,"Cannot apply fix heat to atoms in rigid bodies");
+
   // cannot have 0 atoms in group
 
   if (group->count(igroup) == 0)
diff --git a/src/fix_temp_berendsen.cpp b/src/fix_temp_berendsen.cpp
index aff9a44977..7b312cfb5f 100644
--- a/src/fix_temp_berendsen.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_temp_berendsen.cpp
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ void FixTempBerendsen::init()
     error->all(FLERR,"Temperature ID for fix temp/berendsen does not exist");
   temperature = modify->compute[icompute];
 
+  if (modify->check_rigid_group_overlap(groupbit))
+    error->warning(FLERR,"Cannot thermostat atoms in rigid bodies");
+
   if (temperature->tempbias) which = BIAS;
   else which = NOBIAS;
 }
diff --git a/src/fix_temp_csld.cpp b/src/fix_temp_csld.cpp
index f24314ac80..63f27cdecb 100644
--- a/src/fix_temp_csld.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_temp_csld.cpp
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ void FixTempCSLD::init()
     error->all(FLERR,"Temperature ID for fix temp/csld does not exist");
   temperature = modify->compute[icompute];
 
+  if (modify->check_rigid_group_overlap(groupbit))
+    error->warning(FLERR,"Cannot thermostat atoms in rigid bodies");
+
   if (temperature->tempbias) which = BIAS;
   else which = NOBIAS;
 }