diff --git a/src/atom.cpp b/src/atom.cpp
index e1b459750b..103fd5bc57 100644
--- a/src/atom.cpp
+++ b/src/atom.cpp
@@ -805,8 +805,11 @@ void Atom::data_atoms(int n, char *buf)
     next = strchr(buf,'\n');
 
     values[0] = strtok(buf," \t\n\r\f");
-    for (m = 1; m < nwords; m++)
+    if (values[0] == NULL) error->all("Incorrect atom format in data file");
+    for (m = 1; m < nwords; m++) {
       values[m] = strtok(NULL," \t\n\r\f");
+      if (values[m] == NULL) error->all("Incorrect atom format in data file");
+    }
 
     if (imageflag)
       imagedata = ((atoi(values[iptr+2]) + 512 & 1023) << 20) |
diff --git a/src/read_data.cpp b/src/read_data.cpp
index c3e513b458..3b7127dccf 100644
--- a/src/read_data.cpp
+++ b/src/read_data.cpp
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ void ReadData::atoms()
       }
       buffer[m++] = '\n';
     }
+    buffer[m] = '\0';
     MPI_Bcast(&m,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
     MPI_Bcast(buffer,m,MPI_CHAR,0,world);
 
@@ -552,6 +553,7 @@ void ReadData::velocities()
       }
       buffer[m++] = '\n';
     }
+    buffer[m] = '\0';
     MPI_Bcast(&m,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
     MPI_Bcast(buffer,m,MPI_CHAR,0,world);
 
@@ -603,6 +605,7 @@ void ReadData::ellipsoids()
       }
       buffer[m++] = '\n';
     }
+    buffer[m] = '\0';
     MPI_Bcast(&m,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
     MPI_Bcast(buffer,m,MPI_CHAR,0,world);
 
@@ -642,6 +645,7 @@ void ReadData::bonds()
       }
       buffer[m++] = '\n';
     }
+    buffer[m] = '\0';
     MPI_Bcast(&m,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
     MPI_Bcast(buffer,m,MPI_CHAR,0,world);
 
@@ -687,6 +691,7 @@ void ReadData::angles()
       }
       buffer[m++] = '\n';
     }
+    buffer[m] = '\0';
     MPI_Bcast(&m,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
     MPI_Bcast(buffer,m,MPI_CHAR,0,world);
 
@@ -732,6 +737,7 @@ void ReadData::dihedrals()
       }
       buffer[m++] = '\n';
     }
+    buffer[m] = '\0';
     MPI_Bcast(&m,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
     MPI_Bcast(buffer,m,MPI_CHAR,0,world);
 
@@ -778,6 +784,7 @@ void ReadData::impropers()
       }
       buffer[m++] = '\n';
     }
+    buffer[m] = '\0';
     MPI_Bcast(&m,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
     MPI_Bcast(buffer,m,MPI_CHAR,0,world);