diff --git a/src/create_atoms.cpp b/src/create_atoms.cpp
index 7be67f4c49..5310d5f49c 100644
--- a/src/create_atoms.cpp
+++ b/src/create_atoms.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,20 @@ enum { BISECTION, QUASIRANDOM };
 static constexpr const char *mesh_name[] = {"recursive bisection", "quasi-random"};
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+CreateAtoms::~CreateAtoms()
+{
+  delete[] basistype;
+  memory->destroy(xmol);
+
+  delete[] vstr;
+  delete[] xstr;
+  delete[] ystr;
+  delete[] zstr;
+  delete[] groupname;
+
+  delete ranmol;
+  delete ranlat;
+}
 CreateAtoms::CreateAtoms(LAMMPS *lmp) : Command(lmp), basistype(nullptr) {}
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/create_atoms.h b/src/create_atoms.h
index f839e3f0df..ca2a8779a9 100644
--- a/src/create_atoms.h
+++ b/src/create_atoms.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS {
 class CreateAtoms : public Command {
  public:
   CreateAtoms(class LAMMPS *);
+  ~CreateAtoms() override;
   void command(int, char **) override;
 
  private:
@@ -45,7 +46,6 @@ class CreateAtoms : public Command {
 
   int varflag, vvar, xvar, yvar, zvar;
   char *vstr, *xstr, *ystr, *zstr;
-  char *xstr_copy, *ystr_copy, *zstr_copy;
 
   int ilo, ihi, jlo, jhi, klo, khi;