diff --git a/src/atom.cpp b/src/atom.cpp
index b06934fda9..12a1f56049 100644
--- a/src/atom.cpp
+++ b/src/atom.cpp
@@ -471,6 +471,7 @@ void Atom::modify_params(int narg, char **arg)
       if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"array") == 0) map_user = 1;
       else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"hash") == 0) map_user = 2;
       else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal atom_modify command");
+      map_style = map_user;
       iarg += 2;
     } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg],"first") == 0) {
       if (iarg+2 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal atom_modify command");
diff --git a/src/create_atoms.cpp b/src/create_atoms.cpp
index 7a24c5eb09..351d3656b1 100644
--- a/src/create_atoms.cpp
+++ b/src/create_atoms.cpp
@@ -270,10 +270,10 @@ void CreateAtoms::command(int narg, char **arg)
   if (atom->tag_enable) atom->tag_extend();
   atom->tag_check();
 
-  // if molecular system or user-requested, create global mapping of atoms
+  // create global mapping of atoms
   // zero nghost in case are adding new atoms to existing atoms
 
-  if (atom->molecular || atom->map_user) {
+  if (atom->map_style) {
     atom->nghost = 0;
     atom->map_init();
     atom->map_set();
diff --git a/src/read_data.cpp b/src/read_data.cpp
index 583af07dbf..628f9f1e59 100644
--- a/src/read_data.cpp
+++ b/src/read_data.cpp
@@ -780,9 +780,9 @@ void ReadData::atoms()
 
   atom->tag_check();
 
-  // if molecular system or user-requested, create global mapping of atoms
+  // create global mapping of atoms
 
-  if (atom->molecular || atom->map_user) {
+  if (atom->map_style) {
     atom->map_init();
     atom->map_set();
   }
diff --git a/src/read_restart.cpp b/src/read_restart.cpp
index 13795b0c43..c0a9bac92e 100644
--- a/src/read_restart.cpp
+++ b/src/read_restart.cpp
@@ -501,9 +501,9 @@ void ReadRestart::command(int narg, char **arg)
 
   atom->tag_check();
 
-  // if molecular system or user-requested, create global mapping of atoms
+  // create global mapping of atoms
 
-  if (atom->molecular || atom->map_user) {
+  if (atom->map_style) {
     atom->map_init();
     atom->map_set();
   }
diff --git a/src/replicate.cpp b/src/replicate.cpp
index b50d676561..b759c47fa3 100644
--- a/src/replicate.cpp
+++ b/src/replicate.cpp
@@ -388,9 +388,9 @@ void Replicate::command(int narg, char **arg)
 
   atom->tag_check();
 
-  // if molecular system or user-requested, create global mapping of atoms
+  // create global mapping of atoms
 
-  if (atom->molecular || atom->map_user) {
+  if (atom->map_style) {
     atom->map_init();
     atom->map_set();
   }