diff --git a/src/INTERLAYER/pair_ilp_graphene_hbn.cpp b/src/INTERLAYER/pair_ilp_graphene_hbn.cpp
index a13a3464ca..85a2d8bfb5 100644
--- a/src/INTERLAYER/pair_ilp_graphene_hbn.cpp
+++ b/src/INTERLAYER/pair_ilp_graphene_hbn.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include <cmath>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <map>
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 using namespace InterLayer;
@@ -56,6 +57,12 @@ static const char cite_ilp[] =
     " year =    2018,\n"
     "}\n\n";
 
+// to indicate which potential style was used in outputs
+static std::map<int, std::string> variant_map = {
+    {PairILPGrapheneHBN::ILP_GrhBN, "ilp/graphene/hbn"},
+    {PairILPGrapheneHBN::ILP_TMD, "ilp/tmd"},
+    {PairILPGrapheneHBN::SAIP_METAL, "saip/metal"}};
+
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 PairILPGrapheneHBN::PairILPGrapheneHBN(LAMMPS *lmp) : Pair(lmp), variant(ILP_GrhBN)
@@ -209,24 +216,7 @@ void PairILPGrapheneHBN::read_file(char *filename)
   // open file on proc 0
 
   if (comm->me == 0) {
-    std::string potential_name;
-    switch (variant) {
-      case ILP_GrhBN:
-        potential_name = "ilp/graphene/hbn";
-        break;
-
-      case ILP_TMD:
-        potential_name = "ilp/tmd";
-        break;
-
-      case SAIP_METAL:
-        potential_name = "saip/metal";
-        break;
-
-      default:
-        error->one(FLERR, "Unknown ILP style variant {}", variant);
-    }
-    PotentialFileReader reader(lmp, filename, potential_name, unit_convert_flag);
+    PotentialFileReader reader(lmp, filename, variant_map[variant], unit_convert_flag);
     char *line;
 
     // transparently convert units for supported conversions
@@ -324,11 +314,15 @@ void PairILPGrapheneHBN::read_file(char *filename)
       int n = -1;
       for (int m = 0; m < nparams; m++) {
         if (i == params[m].ielement && j == params[m].jelement) {
-          if (n >= 0) error->all(FLERR, "ILP potential file has duplicate entry");
+          if (n >= 0)
+            error->all(FLERR, "{} potential file {} has a duplicate entry", variant_map[variant],
+                       filename);
           n = m;
         }
       }
-      if (n < 0) error->all(FLERR, "Potential file is missing an entry");
+      if (n < 0)
+        error->all(FLERR, "{} potential file {} is missing an entry", variant_map[variant],
+                   filename);
       elem2param[i][j] = n;
       cutILPsq[i][j] = params[n].rcut * params[n].rcut;
     }
@@ -341,8 +335,10 @@ void PairILPGrapheneHBN::read_file(char *filename)
 
 void PairILPGrapheneHBN::init_style()
 {
-  if (force->newton_pair == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Pair style ilp/* requires newton pair on");
-  if (!atom->molecule_flag) error->all(FLERR, "Pair style ilp/* requires atom attribute molecule");
+  if (force->newton_pair == 0)
+    error->all(FLERR, "Pair style {} requires newton pair on", variant_map[variant]);
+  if (!atom->molecule_flag)
+    error->all(FLERR, "Pair style {} requires atom attribute molecule", variant_map[variant]);
 
   // need a full neighbor list, including neighbors of ghosts