diff --git a/examples/mliap/in.mliap.unified.hippynn.InP b/examples/mliap/in.mliap.unified.hippynn.InP
index 9cdf78e847..2300f1b15b 100644
--- a/examples/mliap/in.mliap.unified.hippynn.InP
+++ b/examples/mliap/in.mliap.unified.hippynn.InP
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ mass 2 30.98
 # choose potential
 
 # Specify MLIAP Unified pair style
-pair_style mliap unified mliap_unified_hippynn_InP.pt 0
+pair_style mliap unified mliap_unified_hippynn_InP.pt
 pair_coeff * * In P
 
 #dump 4 all custom 1 forces.xyz fx fy fz
diff --git a/examples/mliap/in.mliap.unified.lj.Ar b/examples/mliap/in.mliap.unified.lj.Ar
index 167f101fc6..9ec447a812 100644
--- a/examples/mliap/in.mliap.unified.lj.Ar
+++ b/examples/mliap/in.mliap.unified.lj.Ar
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ mass		1 1.0
 
 velocity	all create 3.0 87287 loop geom
 
-pair_style	mliap unified mliap_unified_lj_Ar.pkl 0
+pair_style	mliap unified mliap_unified_lj_Ar.pkl
 pair_coeff	* * Ar
 
 neighbor	0.3 bin
diff --git a/src/ML-IAP/pair_mliap.cpp b/src/ML-IAP/pair_mliap.cpp
index e3a5c90492..4134afe24e 100644
--- a/src/ML-IAP/pair_mliap.cpp
+++ b/src/ML-IAP/pair_mliap.cpp
@@ -185,15 +185,19 @@ void PairMLIAP::settings(int narg, char ** arg)
     } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg], "unified") == 0) {
       if (modelflag) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal multiple pair_style mliap model definition");
       if (descriptorflag) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal multiple pair_style mliap descriptor definition");
-      if (iarg+3 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style mliap command");
+      if (iarg+2 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style mliap command");
       MLIAPBuildUnified_t build = build_unified(arg[iarg+1], data, lmp);
-      if (strcmp(arg[iarg+2],"0") == 0) {
+      if (iarg+3 > narg) {
         ghostneigh = 0;
-      } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+2],"1") == 0) {
-        ghostneigh = 1;
       } else {
-        error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style mliap command");
+        if (strcmp(arg[iarg+2],"0") == 0)
+          ghostneigh = 0;
+        else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+2],"1") == 0)
+          ghostneigh = 1;
+        else
+          error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style mliap command");
       }
+
       iarg += 3;
       model = build.model;
       descriptor = build.descriptor;