diff --git a/src/dump_custom.cpp b/src/dump_custom.cpp
index b0fe5dd263..3acaf6535e 100644
--- a/src/dump_custom.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_custom.cpp
@@ -1532,15 +1532,12 @@ int DumpCustom::parse_fields(int narg, char **arg)
           error->all(FLERR,"Could not find custom per-atom property ID: {}", name);
         if (argindex[iarg] == 0) {
           if (!flag || cols)
-            error->all(FLERR,
-                       "Property double vector for dump custom does not exist");
+            error->all(FLERR,"Property double vector for dump custom does not exist");
         } else {
           if (!flag || !cols)
-            error->all(FLERR,
-                       "Property double array for dump custom does not exist");
+            error->all(FLERR,"Property double array for dump custom does not exist");
           if (argindex[iarg] > atom->dcols[n])
-            error->all(FLERR,
-                       "Dump custom property array is accessed out-of-range");
+            error->all(FLERR,"Dump custom property array is accessed out-of-range");
         }
 
         field2index[iarg] = add_custom(name,1);
diff --git a/src/fix_property_atom.cpp b/src/fix_property_atom.cpp
index 2d122e9b03..1e583a4ec9 100644
--- a/src/fix_property_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_property_atom.cpp
@@ -66,8 +66,7 @@ FixPropertyAtom::FixPropertyAtom(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       iarg++;
     } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg],"q") == 0) {
       if (atom->q_flag)
-        error->all(FLERR,"Fix property/atom q when atom_style "
-                   "already has charge attribute");
+        error->all(FLERR,"Fix property/atom q when atom_style already has charge attribute");
       if (q_flag)
         error->all(FLERR,"Fix property/atom cannot specify q twice");
       style[nvalue] = CHARGE;
@@ -78,8 +77,7 @@ FixPropertyAtom::FixPropertyAtom(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       iarg++;
     } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg],"rmass") == 0) {
       if (atom->rmass_flag)
-        error->all(FLERR,"Fix property/atom rmass when atom_style "
-                   "already has rmass attribute");
+        error->all(FLERR,"Fix property/atom rmass when atom_style already has rmass attribute");
       if (rmass_flag)
         error->all(FLERR,"Fix property/atom cannot specify rmass twice");
       style[nvalue] = RMASS;
@@ -93,11 +91,13 @@ FixPropertyAtom::FixPropertyAtom(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
 
     } else if (utils::strmatch(arg[iarg],"^i_")) {
       style[nvalue] = IVEC;
-      int flag,cols;
-      index[nvalue] = atom->find_custom(&arg[iarg][2],flag,cols);
+      int flag,ncols;
+      index[nvalue] = atom->find_custom(&arg[iarg][2],flag,ncols);
       if (index[nvalue] >= 0)
         error->all(FLERR,"Fix property/atom vector name already exists");
       index[nvalue] = atom->add_custom(&arg[iarg][2],0,0);
+      cols[nvalue] = 0;
+      values_peratom++;
       nvalue++;
       iarg++;
 
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ FixPropertyAtom::FixPropertyAtom(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       if (index[nvalue] >= 0)
         error->all(FLERR,"Fix property/atom vector name already exists");
       index[nvalue] = atom->add_custom(&arg[iarg][2],1,0);
+      cols[nvalue] = 0;
+      values_peratom++;
       nvalue++;
       iarg++;
 
@@ -252,8 +254,7 @@ void FixPropertyAtom::init()
    id_offset is applied to first atomID field if multiple data files are read
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-void FixPropertyAtom::read_data_section(char *keyword, int n, char *buf,
-                                        tagint id_offset)
+void FixPropertyAtom::read_data_section(char *keyword, int n, char *buf, tagint id_offset)
 {
   int j,k,m,ncol;
   tagint itag;
@@ -278,14 +279,13 @@ void FixPropertyAtom::read_data_section(char *keyword, int n, char *buf,
 
     try {
       ValueTokenizer values(buf);
-      if ((int)values.count() != nvalue+1)
-        error->all(FLERR,"Incorrect format in {} section "
-                                     "of data file: {}",keyword,buf);
+      if ((int)values.count() != values_peratom+1)
+        error->all(FLERR,"Incorrect format in {} section of data file: {}"
+                   " expected {} and got {}",keyword,buf,values_peratom+1,values.count());
 
       itag = values.next_tagint() + id_offset;
       if (itag <= 0 || itag > map_tag_max)
-        error->all(FLERR,"Invalid atom ID {} in {} section of "
-                                     "data file",itag, keyword);
+        error->all(FLERR,"Invalid atom ID {} in {} section of data file",itag, keyword);
 
       // assign words in line to per-atom vectors
 
@@ -301,7 +301,6 @@ void FixPropertyAtom::read_data_section(char *keyword, int n, char *buf,
             atom->ivector[index[j]][m] = values.next_int();
           } else if (style[j] == DVEC) {
             atom->dvector[index[j]][m] = values.next_double();
-          // NOTE: Axel please check these lines of array code
           } else if (style[j] == IARRAY) {
             ncol = cols[j];
             for (k = 0; k < ncol; k++)
@@ -314,8 +313,7 @@ void FixPropertyAtom::read_data_section(char *keyword, int n, char *buf,
         }
       }
     } catch (TokenizerException &e) {
-      error->all(FLERR,"Invalid format in {} section of data "
-                                   "file '{}': {}",keyword, buf,e.what());
+      error->all(FLERR,"Invalid format in {} section of data file '{}': {}",keyword, buf,e.what());
     }
     buf = next + 1;
   }
diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index 2d27ff2f03..7a7a03946e 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -627,36 +627,32 @@ int utils::expand_args(const char *file, int line, int narg, char **arg, int mod
           }
         }
       }
+    }
 
-      // expansion will take place
+    // expansion will take place
 
-      if (expandflag) {
+    if (expandflag) {
 
-        // expand wild card string to nlo/nhi numbers
-        utils::bounds(file, line, wc, 1, nmax, nlo, nhi, lmp->error);
+      // expand wild card string to nlo/nhi numbers
+      utils::bounds(file, line, wc, 1, nmax, nlo, nhi, lmp->error);
 
-        if (newarg + nhi - nlo + 1 > maxarg) {
-          maxarg += nhi - nlo + 1;
-          earg = (char **) lmp->memory->srealloc(earg, maxarg * sizeof(char *), "input:earg");
-        }
+      if (newarg + nhi - nlo + 1 > maxarg) {
+        maxarg += nhi - nlo + 1;
+        earg = (char **) lmp->memory->srealloc(earg, maxarg * sizeof(char *), "input:earg");
+      }
 
-        for (int index = nlo; index <= nhi; index++) {
-          // assemble and duplicate expanded string
-          if (word[1] == '2')
-            earg[newarg] = utils::strdup(fmt::format("{}2_{}[{}]{}", word[0], id, index, tail));
-          else
-            earg[newarg] = utils::strdup(fmt::format("{}_{}[{}]{}", word[0], id, index, tail));
-          newarg++;
-        }
-      } else {
-        // no expansion: duplicate original string
-        if (newarg == maxarg) {
-          maxarg++;
-          earg = (char **) lmp->memory->srealloc(earg, maxarg * sizeof(char *), "input:earg");
-        }
-        earg[newarg] = utils::strdup(word);
+      for (int index = nlo; index <= nhi; index++) {
+        earg[newarg] = utils::strdup(fmt::format("{}2_{}[{}]{}", word[0], id, index, tail));
         newarg++;
       }
+    } else {
+      // no expansion: duplicate original string
+      if (newarg == maxarg) {
+        maxarg++;
+        earg = (char **) lmp->memory->srealloc(earg, maxarg * sizeof(char *), "input:earg");
+      }
+      earg[newarg] = utils::strdup(word);
+      newarg++;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/unittest/formats/test_atom_styles.cpp b/unittest/formats/test_atom_styles.cpp
index b091360170..71c1ed882f 100644
--- a/unittest/formats/test_atom_styles.cpp
+++ b/unittest/formats/test_atom_styles.cpp
@@ -4648,7 +4648,8 @@ TEST_F(AtomStyleTest, property_atom)
     command("pair_style zero 4.0");
     command("units real");
     command("atom_modify map array");
-    command("fix props all property/atom i_one d_two mol d_three q rmass ghost yes");
+    command("fix props all property/atom i_one d_two mol d_three q rmass "
+            "i2_four 2 d2_five 3 ghost yes");
     command("read_data test_atom_styles.data fix props NULL Properties");
     command("pair_coeff * *");
     END_HIDE_OUTPUT();
@@ -4737,7 +4738,8 @@ TEST_F(AtomStyleTest, property_atom)
     command("clear");
     ASSERT_THAT(std::string(lmp->atom->atom_style), Eq("atomic"));
     command("read_restart test_atom_styles.restart");
-    command("fix props all property/atom i_one d_two mol d_three q rmass ghost yes");
+    command("fix props all property/atom i_one d_two mol d_three q rmass "
+            "i2_four 2 d2_five 3 ghost yes");
     END_HIDE_OUTPUT();
     expected.natoms           = 2;
     expected.nlocal           = 2;
@@ -4749,7 +4751,11 @@ TEST_F(AtomStyleTest, property_atom)
     expected.has_mass_setflag = true;
     expected.has_sametag      = true;
     expected.has_extra        = true;
-    expected.nextra_store     = 7;
+    expected.has_ivname         = true;
+    expected.has_dvname         = true;
+    expected.has_ianame         = true;
+    expected.has_daname         = true;
+    expected.nextra_store     = 12;
 
     ASSERT_ATOM_STATE_EQ(lmp->atom, expected);
     ASSERT_NE(lmp->atom->avec, nullptr);