diff --git a/src/ML-IAP/Install.sh b/src/ML-IAP/Install.sh
index 18812c6026..2f2fa50921 100755
--- a/src/ML-IAP/Install.sh
+++ b/src/ML-IAP/Install.sh
@@ -40,6 +40,17 @@ for file in *.cpp *.h; do
   test -f ${file} && action $file
 done
 
+# Edit makefile for ace descriptors if ML-PACE is available
+if (test $1 = 1) then
+  if (test -e ../Makefile.package) then
+    if (test -e ../compute_pace.h) then
+      sed -i -e 's|^PKG_INC =[ \t]*|&-DMLIAP_ACE |' ../Makefile.package
+    fi
+    else
+      rm -f ../mliap_descriptor_ace.cpp ../mliap_descriptor_ace.h
+  fi
+fi
+
 # Install cython pyx file only if also Python is available
 action mliap_model_python_couple.pyx python_impl.cpp
 action mliap_unified_couple.pyx python_impl.cpp
diff --git a/src/ML-IAP/compute_mliap.cpp b/src/ML-IAP/compute_mliap.cpp
index ac9d2dd1c4..0f87e2b13f 100644
--- a/src/ML-IAP/compute_mliap.cpp
+++ b/src/ML-IAP/compute_mliap.cpp
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ ComputeMLIAP::ComputeMLIAP(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       if (iarg+2 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal compute mliap command");
       if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"sna") == 0) {
         if (iarg+3 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal compute mliap command");
+        if (lmp->kokkos) error->all(FLERR,"Cannot (yet) use KOKKOS package with SNAP descriptors");
         descriptor = new MLIAPDescriptorSNAP(lmp,arg[iarg+2]);
         iarg += 3;
       } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"so3") == 0) {
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ ComputeMLIAP::ComputeMLIAP(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
 #ifdef MLIAP_ACE
         else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"ace") == 0) {
         if (iarg+3 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style mliap command");
+        if (lmp->kokkos) error->all(FLERR,"Cannot (yet) use KOKKOS package with ACE descriptors");
         descriptor = new MLIAPDescriptorACE(lmp,arg[iarg+2]);
         iarg += 3;
       }
diff --git a/src/ML-IAP/pair_mliap.cpp b/src/ML-IAP/pair_mliap.cpp
index c242f4cdcc..0686cd2f71 100644
--- a/src/ML-IAP/pair_mliap.cpp
+++ b/src/ML-IAP/pair_mliap.cpp
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ void PairMLIAP::settings(int narg, char ** arg)
       if (descriptor != nullptr) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal multiple pair_style mliap descriptor definition");
       if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"sna") == 0) {
         if (iarg+3 > narg) utils::missing_cmd_args(FLERR, "pair_style mliap descriptor sna", error);
+        if (lmp->kokkos) error->all(FLERR,"Cannot (yet) use KOKKOS package with SNAP descriptors");
         descriptor = new MLIAPDescriptorSNAP(lmp,arg[iarg+2]);
         iarg += 3;
       } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"so3") == 0) {
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ void PairMLIAP::settings(int narg, char ** arg)
 #ifdef MLIAP_ACE
         else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"ace") == 0) {
         if (iarg+3 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style mliap command");
+        if (lmp->kokkos) error->all(FLERR,"Cannot (yet) use KOKKOS package with ACE descriptors");
         descriptor = new MLIAPDescriptorACE(lmp,arg[iarg+2]);
         iarg += 3;
       }