diff --git a/src/dump_grid.cpp b/src/dump_grid.cpp
index a11b042de4..f897ee2047 100644
--- a/src/dump_grid.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_grid.cpp
@@ -653,9 +653,8 @@ int DumpGrid::parse_fields(int narg, char **arg)
     int igrid,idata,index;
     
     int iflag =
-      utils::check_grid_reference(igrid,idata,index,lmp);
-    //utils::check_grid_reference((char *) "Dump grid",
-    //                              arg[iarg],igrid,idata,index,lmp);
+      utils::check_grid_reference((char *) "Dump grid",
+                                  arg[iarg],igrid,idata,index,lmp);
 
     // arg is not a Grid reference
     
diff --git a/src/dump_image.cpp b/src/dump_image.cpp
index f76368d0c4..7b9ffbbd35 100644
--- a/src/dump_image.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_image.cpp
@@ -187,9 +187,8 @@ DumpImage::DumpImage(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       char *id;
       int igrid,idata,index;
       int iflag =
-        utils::check_grid_reference(igrid,idata,index,lmp);
-      //        utils::check_grid_reference((char *) "Dump image",
-      //                             arg[iarg+1],igrid,idata,index,lmp);
+        utils::check_grid_reference((char *) "Dump image",
+                                    arg[iarg+1],igrid,idata,index,lmp);
       
       iarg += 2;
 
diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index 77d3699f18..ed5fd514b4 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -877,13 +877,9 @@ char *utils::expand_type(const char *file, int line, const std::string &str, int
      caller decides what to do if not COMPUTE or FIX
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-//int check_grid_reference(char *errstr, char *ref, int &igrid, int &idata, int &index,
-//                         LAMMPS *lmp)
-int check_grid_reference(int &igrid, int &idata, int &index, LAMMPS *lmp)
+int utils::check_grid_reference(char *errstr, char *ref, int &igrid, int &idata, int &index,
+                                LAMMPS *lmp)
 {
-  char *ref;
-  char *errstr;
-  
   ArgInfo argi(ref, ArgInfo::COMPUTE | ArgInfo::FIX);
   index = argi.get_index1();
   auto name = argi.get_name();
@@ -900,7 +896,7 @@ int check_grid_reference(int &igrid, int &idata, int &index, LAMMPS *lmp)
 
       // split name = idcompute:gname:dname into 3 strings
   
-      auto words = utils::parse_grid_id(FLERR,name,lmp->error);
+      auto words = parse_grid_id(FLERR,name,lmp->error);
       const auto &idcompute = words[0];
       const auto &gname = words[1];
       const auto &dname = words[2];
@@ -937,7 +933,7 @@ int check_grid_reference(int &igrid, int &idata, int &index, LAMMPS *lmp)
 
       // split name = idfix:gname:dname into 3 strings
 
-      auto words = utils::parse_grid_id(FLERR,name,lmp->error);
+      auto words = parse_grid_id(FLERR,name,lmp->error);
       const auto &idfix = words[0];
       const auto &gname = words[1];
       const auto &dname = words[2];
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index 417884442a..5ea11dbaf3 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -383,9 +383,8 @@ namespace utils {
 
 
 
-  //int check_grid_reference(char *errstr, char *ref, int &igrid, int &idata, int &index,
-  //                         LAMMPS *lmp);
-  int check_grid_reference(int &igrid, int &idata, int &index, LAMMPS *lmp);
+  int check_grid_reference(char *errstr, char *ref, int &igrid, int &idata, int &index,
+                           LAMMPS *lmp);
 
   
   /*! Parse grid reference into 3 sub-strings