diff --git a/doc/src/kim_commands.txt b/doc/src/kim_commands.txt
index f9615b8d5f..2a8f83e7a8 100644
--- a/doc/src/kim_commands.txt
+++ b/doc/src/kim_commands.txt
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ kim_init Sim_LAMMPS_ReaxFF_StrachanVanDuinChakraborty_2003_CHNO__SM_107643900657
 kim_interactions C H O
 kim_init Sim_LAMMPS_IFF_OtherInfo_AuthorList_Year_Species__SM_064312669787_000 real
 kim_interactions fixed_types
-kim_query a0 get_lattice_constant_fcc species=\["Al"] units=\["angstrom"\] :pre
+kim_query a0 get_lattice_constant_fcc species=\["Al"\] units=\["angstrom"\] :pre
 
 
 [Description:]
@@ -105,12 +105,16 @@ The URL for such a page is constructed from the
 "extended KIM ID"_https://openkim.org/about-kim-ids/ of the IM:
 
 https://openkim.org/id/extended_KIM_ID
+or
+https://openkim.org/id/short_KIM_ID
 :pre
 
 For example for the Stillinger-Weber potential
 listed above the Model Page is located at:
 
 "https://openkim.org/id/SW_StillingerWeber_1985_Si__MO_405512056662_005"_https://openkim.org/id/SW_StillingerWeber_1985_Si__MO_405512056662_005
+or
+"https://openkim.org/id/MO_405512056662_005"_https://openkim.org/id/MO_405512056662_005
 :pre
 
 See the "current list of KIM PMs and SMs archived in OpenKIM"_https://openkim.org/browse/models/by-species.
@@ -271,8 +275,8 @@ OpenKIM IM Execution ({kim_interactions}) :h5
 
 The second and final step in using an OpenKIM IM is to execute the
 {kim_interactions} command. This command must be preceded by a {kim_init}
-command and a "create_box"_create_box.html command,
-which defines the number of atom types {N}.
+command and a command that creates the simulation box (such as
+"create_box"_create_box.html), which defines the number of atom types {N}.
 The {kim_interactions} command has one argument {typeargs}. This argument
 contains either a list of {N} chemical species, which defines a mapping between
 atom types in LAMMPS to the available species in the OpenKIM IM, or the
@@ -338,7 +342,7 @@ Note also that parameters like cutoff radii and charge tolerances,
 which have an effect on IM predictions, are also included in the
 SM definition ensuring reproducibility.
 
-NOTE: When using using {kim_init} and {kim_interactions} to select
+NOTE: When using {kim_init} and {kim_interactions} to select
 and set up an OpenKIM IM, other LAMMPS commands
 for the same functions (such as pair_style, pair_coeff, bond_style,
 bond_coeff, fixes related to charge equilibration, etc.) should normally
@@ -356,7 +360,7 @@ argument of the {kim_query command}.  The second required argument
 (e.g. {get_lattice_constant_fcc}).
 All following arguments are parameters handed over to the web query
 in the format {keyword=value}.  The list of supported keywords and
-and the type and format of their values depend on the query function
+the type and format of their values depend on the query function
 used.
 
 NOTE: The current list of supported query functions is available on the OpenKIM
diff --git a/src/KIM/kim_query.cpp b/src/KIM/kim_query.cpp
index cf4efc2b12..6e77b8f859 100644
--- a/src/KIM/kim_query.cpp
+++ b/src/KIM/kim_query.cpp
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ void KimQuery::command(int narg, char **arg)
   // that was returned by the web server
 
   if (0 == strlen(value)) {
-    char errmsg[512];
+    char errmsg[1024];
 
     sprintf(errmsg,"OpenKIM query failed: %s",value+1);
         error->all(FLERR,errmsg);
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ void KimQuery::command(int narg, char **arg)
     varcmd[1] = (char *) "string";
 
     while(std::getline(ss, token, ',')) {
+      token.erase(0,token.find_first_not_of(" \n\r\t"));  // ltrim
+      token.erase(token.find_last_not_of(" \n\r\t") + 1);  // rtrim
       std::stringstream splitname;
       splitname << varname << "_" << counter++;
       varcmd[0] = const_cast<char *>(splitname.str().c_str());
@@ -256,9 +258,15 @@ char *do_query(char *qfunction, char * model_name, int narg, char **arg,
 
   if (value[0] == '[') {
     int len = strlen(value)-1;
-    retval = new char[len];
-    value[len] = '\0';
-    strcpy(retval,value+1);
+    if (value[len-1] == ']') {
+      retval = new char[len];
+      value[len-1] = '\0';
+      strcpy(retval,value+1);
+    } else {
+      retval = new char[len+2];
+      retval[0] = '\0';
+      strcpy(retval+1,value);
+    }
   } else if (value[0] == '\0') {
     int len = strlen(value+1)+2;
     retval = new char[len];
@@ -266,10 +274,11 @@ char *do_query(char *qfunction, char * model_name, int narg, char **arg,
     strcpy(retval+1,value+1);
   } else {
     // unknown response type. we should not get here.
-    // copy response without modifications.
-    int len = strlen(value)+1;
+    // we return an "empty" string but add error message after it
+    int len = strlen(value)+2;
     retval = new char[len];
-    strcpy(retval,value);
+    retval[0] = '\0';
+    strcpy(retval+1,value);
   }
   return retval;
 }