diff --git a/src/atom.cpp b/src/atom.cpp
index 785012d57a..6578016208 100644
--- a/src/atom.cpp
+++ b/src/atom.cpp
@@ -145,11 +145,8 @@ Atom::Atom(LAMMPS *lmp) : Pointers(lmp)
   map_bucket = NULL;
   map_hash = NULL;
 
-  // default atom style = atomic
-
   atom_style = NULL;
   avec = NULL;
-  create_avec("atomic",0,NULL,lmp->suffix);
 
   datamask = ALL_MASK;
   datamask_ext = ALL_MASK;
@@ -277,6 +274,7 @@ void Atom::create_avec(const char *style, int narg, char **arg, char *suffix)
   int sflag;
   avec = new_avec(style,suffix,sflag);
   avec->settings(narg,arg);
+  avec->grow(1);
 
   if (sflag) {
     char estyle[256];
diff --git a/src/input.cpp b/src/input.cpp
index 2631113ad1..edea3342f3 100644
--- a/src/input.cpp
+++ b/src/input.cpp
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ void Input::atom_style()
   // use grow to initialize atom-based arrays to length 1
   // so that x[0][0] can be referenced even if proc has no atoms
 
-  atom->avec->grow(1);
+  //atom->avec->grow(1);
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/lammps.cpp b/src/lammps.cpp
index acaf2041f5..97376a4951 100644
--- a/src/lammps.cpp
+++ b/src/lammps.cpp
@@ -449,14 +449,15 @@ LAMMPS::~LAMMPS()
 
 void LAMMPS::create()
 {
-  atom = new Atom(this);
-
-  if (cuda) neighbor = new NeighborCuda(this);
-  else neighbor = new Neighbor(this);
+  // Comm class must be created before Atom
+  // so that nthreads is defined when create_avec invokes grow()
 
   if (cuda) comm = new CommCuda(this);
   else comm = new Comm(this);
 
+  if (cuda) neighbor = new NeighborCuda(this);
+  else neighbor = new Neighbor(this);
+
   if (cuda) domain = new DomainCuda(this);
 #ifdef LMP_USER_OMP
   else domain = new DomainOMP(this);
@@ -464,11 +465,8 @@ void LAMMPS::create()
   else domain = new Domain(this);
 #endif
 
-  // use grow to initialize atom-based arrays to length 1
-  // so that x[0][0] can be referenced even if proc has no atoms
-  // must be done after nthreads is defined by Comm class
-
-  atom->avec->grow(1);
+  atom = new Atom(this);
+  atom->create_avec("atomic",0,NULL,suffix);
 
   group = new Group(this);
   force = new Force(this);    // must be after group, to create temperature