diff --git a/src/modify.cpp b/src/modify.cpp
index 20fc46a775..8336a67a71 100644
--- a/src/modify.cpp
+++ b/src/modify.cpp
@@ -925,8 +925,8 @@ Fix *Modify::add_fix(int narg, char **arg, int trysuffix)
   // if yes, pass state info to the Fix so it can reset itself
 
   for (int i = 0; i < nfix_restart_global; i++)
-    if (strcmp(id_restart_global[i], fix[ifix]->id) == 0 &&
-        strcmp(style_restart_global[i], fix[ifix]->style) == 0) {
+    if ((strcmp(id_restart_global[i], fix[ifix]->id) == 0) &&
+        (utils::strip_style_suffix(fix[ifix]->style, lmp) == style_restart_global[i])) {
       fix[ifix]->restart(state_restart_global[i]);
       used_restart_global[i] = 1;
       fix[ifix]->restart_reset = 1;
@@ -1448,9 +1448,10 @@ void Modify::write_restart(FILE *fp)
         n = strlen(fix[i]->id) + 1;
         fwrite(&n, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
         fwrite(fix[i]->id, sizeof(char), n, fp);
-        n = strlen(fix[i]->style) + 1;
+        auto fix_style = utils::strip_style_suffix(fix[i]->style, lmp);
+        n = fix_style.size() + 1;
         fwrite(&n, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
-        fwrite(fix[i]->style, sizeof(char), n, fp);
+        fwrite(fix_style.c_str(), sizeof(char), n, fp);
       }
       fix[i]->write_restart(fp);
     }
diff --git a/src/read_restart.cpp b/src/read_restart.cpp
index d4b455aaf9..aa9f5fe8ee 100644
--- a/src/read_restart.cpp
+++ b/src/read_restart.cpp
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ void ReadRestart::header()
         argcopy[i] = read_string();
       atom->create_avec(style,nargcopy,argcopy,1);
       if (comm->me ==0)
-        utils::logmesg(lmp,"  restoring atom style {} from restart\n",style);
+        utils::logmesg(lmp,"  restoring atom style {} from restart\n",atom->atom_style);
       for (int i = 0; i < nargcopy; i++) delete[] argcopy[i];
       delete[] argcopy;
       delete[] style;
diff --git a/src/write_restart.cpp b/src/write_restart.cpp
index e9d6278033..d8fe7c1d2b 100644
--- a/src/write_restart.cpp
+++ b/src/write_restart.cpp
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ void WriteRestart::header()
 
   // write atom_style and its args
 
-  write_string(ATOM_STYLE,atom->atom_style);
+  write_string(ATOM_STYLE,utils::strip_style_suffix(atom->atom_style,lmp));
   fwrite(&atom->avec->nargcopy,sizeof(int),1,fp);
   for (int i = 0; i < atom->avec->nargcopy; i++) {
     int n = strlen(atom->avec->argcopy[i]) + 1;
@@ -542,26 +542,26 @@ void WriteRestart::force_fields()
 {
   if (force->pair) {
     if (force->pair->restartinfo) {
-      write_string(PAIR,force->pair_style);
+      write_string(PAIR,utils::strip_style_suffix(force->pair_style,lmp));
       force->pair->write_restart(fp);
     } else {
-      write_string(NO_PAIR,force->pair_style);
+      write_string(NO_PAIR,utils::strip_style_suffix(force->pair_style,lmp));
     }
   }
   if (atom->avec->bonds_allow && force->bond) {
-    write_string(BOND,force->bond_style);
+    write_string(BOND,utils::strip_style_suffix(force->bond_style,lmp));
     force->bond->write_restart(fp);
   }
   if (atom->avec->angles_allow && force->angle) {
-    write_string(ANGLE,force->angle_style);
+    write_string(ANGLE,utils::strip_style_suffix(force->angle_style,lmp));
     force->angle->write_restart(fp);
   }
   if (atom->avec->dihedrals_allow && force->dihedral) {
-    write_string(DIHEDRAL,force->dihedral_style);
+    write_string(DIHEDRAL,utils::strip_style_suffix(force->dihedral_style,lmp));
     force->dihedral->write_restart(fp);
   }
   if (atom->avec->impropers_allow && force->improper) {
-    write_string(IMPROPER,force->improper_style);
+    write_string(IMPROPER,utils::strip_style_suffix(force->improper_style,lmp));
     force->improper->write_restart(fp);
   }
 
@@ -672,12 +672,12 @@ void WriteRestart::write_double(int flag, double value)
    byte) into the restart file
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-void WriteRestart::write_string(int flag, const char *value)
+void WriteRestart::write_string(int flag, const std::string &value)
 {
-  int n = strlen(value) + 1;
+  int n = value.size() + 1;
   fwrite(&flag,sizeof(int),1,fp);
   fwrite(&n,sizeof(int),1,fp);
-  fwrite(value,sizeof(char),n,fp);
+  fwrite(value.c_str(),sizeof(char),n,fp);
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/write_restart.h b/src/write_restart.h
index 4209476547..390e143ed5 100644
--- a/src/write_restart.h
+++ b/src/write_restart.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class WriteRestart : public Command {
   void write_int(int, int);
   void write_bigint(int, bigint);
   void write_double(int, double);
-  void write_string(int, const char *);
+  void write_string(int, const std::string &);
   void write_int_vec(int, int, int *);
   void write_double_vec(int, int, double *);
 };