diff --git a/src/CORESHELL/compute_temp_cs.cpp b/src/CORESHELL/compute_temp_cs.cpp
index 2ac071e8b2..73edbd1313 100644
--- a/src/CORESHELL/compute_temp_cs.cpp
+++ b/src/CORESHELL/compute_temp_cs.cpp
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ void ComputeTempCS::setup()
 
 void ComputeTempCS::dof_compute()
 {
-  fix_dof = modify->adjust_dof_fix(igroup);
+  adjust_dof_fix();
   int nper = domain->dimension;
   double natoms = group->count(igroup);
   dof = nper * natoms;
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ double ComputeTempCS::compute_scalar()
 
   MPI_Allreduce(&t,&scalar,1,MPI_DOUBLE,MPI_SUM,world);
   if (dynamic) dof_compute();
-  if (tfactor == 0.0 && scalar != 0.0) 
+  if (tfactor == 0.0 && atom->natoms != 0) 
     error->all(FLERR,"Temperature compute degrees of freedom < 0");
   scalar *= tfactor;
   return scalar;
diff --git a/src/USER-EFF/compute_temp_deform_eff.cpp b/src/USER-EFF/compute_temp_deform_eff.cpp
index cb0cf0f7f2..7472b4d230 100644
--- a/src/USER-EFF/compute_temp_deform_eff.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-EFF/compute_temp_deform_eff.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ void ComputeTempDeformEff::setup()
 
 void ComputeTempDeformEff::dof_compute()
 {
-  fix_dof = modify->adjust_dof_fix(igroup);
+  adjust_dof_fix();
   double natoms = group->count(igroup);
   dof = domain->dimension * natoms;
   dof -= extra_dof + fix_dof;
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ double ComputeTempDeformEff::compute_scalar()
 
   MPI_Allreduce(&t,&scalar,1,MPI_DOUBLE,MPI_SUM,world);
   if (dynamic) dof_compute();
-  if (tfactor == 0.0 && scalar != 0.0) 
+  if (tfactor == 0.0 && atom->natoms != 0) 
     error->all(FLERR,"Temperature compute degrees of freedom < 0");
   scalar *= tfactor;
   return scalar;
diff --git a/src/USER-EFF/compute_temp_eff.cpp b/src/USER-EFF/compute_temp_eff.cpp
index 74d3c188b2..9f1bafdd49 100644
--- a/src/USER-EFF/compute_temp_eff.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-EFF/compute_temp_eff.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include "update.h"
 #include "force.h"
 #include "domain.h"
-#include "modify.h"
 #include "group.h"
 #include "error.h"
 
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ void ComputeTempEff::setup()
 
 void ComputeTempEff::dof_compute()
 {
-  fix_dof = modify->adjust_dof_fix(igroup);
+  adjust_dof_fix();
   double natoms = group->count(igroup);
   dof = domain->dimension * natoms;
   dof -= extra_dof + fix_dof;
@@ -121,7 +120,7 @@ double ComputeTempEff::compute_scalar()
 
   MPI_Allreduce(&t,&scalar,1,MPI_DOUBLE,MPI_SUM,world);
   if (dynamic) dof_compute();
-  if (tfactor == 0.0 && scalar != 0.0) 
+  if (tfactor == 0.0 && atom->natoms != 0) 
     error->all(FLERR,"Temperature compute degrees of freedom < 0");
   scalar *= tfactor;
   return scalar;