diff --git a/src/angle_deprecated.cpp b/src/angle_deprecated.cpp
index 968445f3f1..fb3f90ec28 100644
--- a/src/angle_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/angle_deprecated.cpp
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ void AngleDeprecated::settings(int, char **)
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nAngle style 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy style\n\n");
     return;
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This angle style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This angle style is no longer available");
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/bond_deprecated.cpp b/src/bond_deprecated.cpp
index 7bd65b795d..0d91f73ea7 100644
--- a/src/bond_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/bond_deprecated.cpp
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ void BondDeprecated::settings(int, char **)
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nBond style 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy style\n\n");
     return;
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This bond style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This bond style is no longer available");
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/compute_deprecated.cpp b/src/compute_deprecated.cpp
index 356e6b372a..2419e5bc8b 100644
--- a/src/compute_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/compute_deprecated.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,5 @@ ComputeDeprecated::ComputeDeprecated(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nCompute style 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy style\n\n");
     return;
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This compute style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This compute style is no longer available");
 }
diff --git a/src/deprecated.cpp b/src/deprecated.cpp
index 8cd3fc8cb1..dc0ab400d4 100644
--- a/src/deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/deprecated.cpp
@@ -24,13 +24,6 @@
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 
-static void writemsg(LAMMPS *lmp, const std::string &msg, int abend=1)
-{
-  if (lmp->comm->me == 0) utils::logmesg(lmp,msg);
-  if (abend)
-    lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This command is no longer available");
-}
-
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 void Deprecated::command(int /* narg */, char ** /* arg */)
@@ -38,8 +31,12 @@ void Deprecated::command(int /* narg */, char ** /* arg */)
   const std::string cmd = input->command;
 
   if (cmd == "DEPRECATED") {
-    writemsg(lmp,"\nCommand 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy command\n\n",0);
+    if (lmp->comm->me == 0)
+      utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nCommand 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy command\n\n");
+    return;
   } else if (cmd == "reset_ids") {
-    writemsg(lmp,"\n'reset_ids' has been renamed to 'reset_atom_ids'\n\n");
+    if (lmp->comm->me == 0)
+      utils::logmesg(lmp,"\n'reset_ids' has been renamed to 'reset_atom_ids'\n\n");
   }
+  error->all(FLERR,"This command is no longer available");
 }
diff --git a/src/dihedral_deprecated.cpp b/src/dihedral_deprecated.cpp
index a44dcae9d9..1709f7d3d7 100644
--- a/src/dihedral_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/dihedral_deprecated.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,5 @@ void DihedralDeprecated::settings(int, char **)
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nDihedral style 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy style\n\n");
     return;
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This dihedral style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This dihedral style is no longer available");
 }
diff --git a/src/dump_deprecated.cpp b/src/dump_deprecated.cpp
index 3dae66248d..822bed7832 100644
--- a/src/dump_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_deprecated.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,5 @@ DumpDeprecated::DumpDeprecated(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nDump style 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy style\n\n");
     return;
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This dump style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This dump style is no longer available");
 }
diff --git a/src/fix_deprecated.cpp b/src/fix_deprecated.cpp
index c6313bd872..d3ceb69ea0 100644
--- a/src/fix_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_deprecated.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,5 @@ FixDeprecated::FixDeprecated(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
                      "compute chunk/atom:\n  dim, origin, delta, region, "
                      "bound, discard, units\n\n");
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This fix style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This fix style is no longer available");
 }
diff --git a/src/improper_deprecated.cpp b/src/improper_deprecated.cpp
index ea089b5da6..0c1a45603e 100644
--- a/src/improper_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/improper_deprecated.cpp
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@ void ImproperDeprecated::settings(int, char **)
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nImproper style 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy style\n\n");
     return;
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This improper style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This improper style is no longer available");
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/kspace_deprecated.cpp b/src/kspace_deprecated.cpp
index 076bd8a186..5dc2b50e2b 100644
--- a/src/kspace_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/kspace_deprecated.cpp
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ void KSpaceDeprecated::settings(int, char **)
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nKSpace style 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy style\n\n");
     return;
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This kspace style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This kspace style is no longer available");
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/pair_deprecated.cpp b/src/pair_deprecated.cpp
index d48638a456..75cb7efcdf 100644
--- a/src/pair_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/pair_deprecated.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,5 @@ void PairDeprecated::settings(int, char **)
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nPair style 'reax' has been removed from LAMMPS "
                      "after the 12 December 2018 version\n\n");
   }
-
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This pair style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This pair style is no longer available");
 }
diff --git a/src/region_deprecated.cpp b/src/region_deprecated.cpp
index d0f1fb8e1f..afbe9e4189 100644
--- a/src/region_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/src/region_deprecated.cpp
@@ -31,5 +31,5 @@ RegionDeprecated::RegionDeprecated(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       utils::logmesg(lmp,"\nRegion style 'DEPRECATED' is a dummy style\n\n");
     return;
   }
-  lmp->error->all(FLERR,"This region style is no longer available");
+  error->all(FLERR,"This region style is no longer available");
 }