diff --git a/src/VTK/dump_vtk.cpp b/src/VTK/dump_vtk.cpp
index a77f5b2e11..00bd451fb0 100644
--- a/src/VTK/dump_vtk.cpp
+++ b/src/VTK/dump_vtk.cpp
@@ -297,9 +297,10 @@ int DumpVTK::count()
   // cannot invoke before first run, otherwise invoke if necessary
 
   if (ncompute) {
-    if (update->first_update == 0)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Dump compute cannot be invoked before first run");
     for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++) {
+      if (!compute[i]->is_initialized())
+        error->all(FLERR,"Dump compute ID {} cannot be invoked before initialized by a run",
+          compute[i]->id);
       if (!(compute[i]->invoked_flag & Compute::INVOKED_PERATOM)) {
         compute[i]->compute_peratom();
         compute[i]->invoked_flag |= Compute::INVOKED_PERATOM;
diff --git a/src/dump_custom.cpp b/src/dump_custom.cpp
index dba72c7478..570ddd104f 100644
--- a/src/dump_custom.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_custom.cpp
@@ -562,9 +562,10 @@ int DumpCustom::count()
   // cannot invoke before first run, otherwise invoke if necessary
 
   if (ncompute) {
-    if (update->first_update == 0)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Dump compute cannot be invoked before first run");
     for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++) {
+      if (!compute[i]->is_initialized())
+        error->all(FLERR,"Dump compute ID {} cannot be invoked before initialized by a run",
+          compute[i]->id);
       if (!(compute[i]->invoked_flag & Compute::INVOKED_PERATOM)) {
         compute[i]->compute_peratom();
         compute[i]->invoked_flag |= Compute::INVOKED_PERATOM;
diff --git a/src/dump_grid.cpp b/src/dump_grid.cpp
index 39d80ade11..24f2586568 100644
--- a/src/dump_grid.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_grid.cpp
@@ -527,9 +527,10 @@ int DumpGrid::count()
   // cannot invoke before first run, otherwise invoke if necessary
 
   if (ncompute) {
-    if (update->first_update == 0)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Dump compute cannot be invoked before first run");
     for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++) {
+      if (!compute[i]->is_initialized())
+        error->all(FLERR,"Dump compute ID {} cannot be invoked before initialized by a run",
+          compute[i]->id);
       if (!(compute[i]->invoked_flag & Compute::INVOKED_PERGRID)) {
         compute[i]->compute_pergrid();
         compute[i]->invoked_flag |= Compute::INVOKED_PERGRID;
diff --git a/src/dump_image.cpp b/src/dump_image.cpp
index 0d54c60595..530e19a04c 100644
--- a/src/dump_image.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_image.cpp
@@ -667,8 +667,9 @@ void DumpImage::write()
     // cannot invoke before first run, otherwise invoke if necessary
 
     if (grid_compute) {
-      if (update->first_update == 0)
-        error->all(FLERR,"Grid compute used in dump image cannot be invoked before first run");
+      if (!grid_compute->is_initialized())
+        error->all(FLERR,"Grid compute ID {} used in dump image cannot be invoked "
+                   "before initialized by a run", grid_compute->id);
       if (!(grid_compute->invoked_flag & Compute::INVOKED_PERGRID)) {
         grid_compute->compute_pergrid();
         grid_compute->invoked_flag |= Compute::INVOKED_PERGRID;
diff --git a/src/dump_local.cpp b/src/dump_local.cpp
index 097589ea41..e81ab0590f 100644
--- a/src/dump_local.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_local.cpp
@@ -328,9 +328,10 @@ int DumpLocal::count()
   // cannot invoke before first run, otherwise invoke if necessary
 
   if (ncompute) {
-    if (update->first_update == 0)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Dump compute cannot be invoked before first run");
     for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++) {
+      if (!compute[i]->is_initialized())
+        error->all(FLERR,"Dump compute ID {} cannot be invoked before initialized by a run",
+          compute[i]->id);
       if (!(compute[i]->invoked_flag & Compute::INVOKED_LOCAL)) {
         compute[i]->compute_local();
         compute[i]->invoked_flag |= Compute::INVOKED_LOCAL;