diff --git a/src/atom_vec_sphere.cpp b/src/atom_vec_sphere.cpp
index 7c6691ebf6..32aeb5139e 100644
--- a/src/atom_vec_sphere.cpp
+++ b/src/atom_vec_sphere.cpp
@@ -1048,12 +1048,11 @@ void AtomVecSphere::pack_data(double **buf)
     else 
       buf[i][3] = rmass[i] / (4.0*MY_PI/3.0 * radius[i]*radius[i]*radius[i]);
     buf[i][4] = x[i][0];
-    buf[i][5] = x[i][0];
-    buf[i][6] = x[i][1];
-    buf[i][7] = x[i][2];
-    buf[i][8] = (image[i] & IMGMASK) - IMGMAX;
-    buf[i][9] = (image[i] >> IMGBITS & IMGMASK) - IMGMAX;
-    buf[i][10] = (image[i] >> IMG2BITS) - IMGMAX;
+    buf[i][5] = x[i][1];
+    buf[i][6] = x[i][2];
+    buf[i][7] = (image[i] & IMGMASK) - IMGMAX;
+    buf[i][8] = (image[i] >> IMGBITS & IMGMASK) - IMGMAX;
+    buf[i][9] = (image[i] >> IMG2BITS) - IMGMAX;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/comm.cpp b/src/comm.cpp
index 648711d239..b15fc5a285 100644
--- a/src/comm.cpp
+++ b/src/comm.cpp
@@ -1509,9 +1509,10 @@ void Comm::forward_comm_array(int n, double **array)
    communicate inbuf around full ring of processors with messtag
    nbytes = size of inbuf = n datums * nper bytes
    callback() is invoked to allow caller to process/update each proc's inbuf
-   note that callback() is invoked on final iteration for original inbuf
+   if self=1 (default), then callback() is invoked on final iteration
+     using original inbuf, which may have been updated
    for non-NULL outbuf, final updated inbuf is copied to it
-   outbuf = inbuf is OK
+     outbuf = inbuf is OK
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 void Comm::ring(int n, int nper, void *inbuf, int messtag,
diff --git a/src/delete_atoms.cpp b/src/delete_atoms.cpp
index dc70d8557c..d2fa42192b 100644
--- a/src/delete_atoms.cpp
+++ b/src/delete_atoms.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,14 @@
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "error.h"
 
+#include <map>
+
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 
+// allocate space for static class variable
+
+DeleteAtoms *DeleteAtoms::cptr;
+
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 DeleteAtoms::DeleteAtoms(LAMMPS *lmp) : Pointers(lmp) {}
@@ -138,6 +144,7 @@ void DeleteAtoms::delete_group(int narg, char **arg)
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    delete all atoms in region
+   if mol_flag is set, also delete atoms in molecules with any deletions
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 void DeleteAtoms::delete_region(int narg, char **arg)
@@ -158,6 +165,54 @@ void DeleteAtoms::delete_region(int narg, char **arg)
 
   for (int i = 0; i < nlocal; i++)
     if (domain->regions[iregion]->match(x[i][0],x[i][1],x[i][2])) dlist[i] = 1;
+
+  if (mol_flag == 0) return;
+
+  // delete entire molecules if any atom in molecule was deleted
+  // store list of molecule IDs I delete atoms from in list
+  // pass list from proc to proc via ring communication
+
+  hash = new std::map<int,int>();
+
+  int *molecule = atom->molecule;
+  for (int i = 0; i < nlocal; i++)
+    if (dlist[i] && hash->find(molecule[i]) == hash->end())
+      (*hash)[molecule[i]] = 1;
+
+  int n = hash->size();
+  int *list;
+  memory->create(list,n,"delete_atoms:list");
+
+  n = 0;
+  std::map<int,int>::iterator pos;
+  for (pos = hash->begin(); pos != hash->end(); ++pos) list[n++] = pos->first;
+
+  cptr = this;
+  comm->ring(n,sizeof(int),list,1,molring,NULL);
+
+  delete hash;
+  memory->destroy(list);
+}
+
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   callback from comm->ring()
+   cbuf = list of N molecule IDs, put them in hash
+   loop over my atoms, if matches moleculed ID in hash, delete that atom
+------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+void DeleteAtoms::molring(int n, char *cbuf)
+{
+  int *list = (int *) cbuf;
+  int *dlist = cptr->dlist;
+  std::map<int,int> *hash = cptr->hash;
+  int nlocal = cptr->atom->nlocal;
+  int *molecule = cptr->atom->molecule;
+
+  hash->clear();
+  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) (*hash)[list[i]] = 1;
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < nlocal; i++)
+    if (hash->find(molecule[i]) != hash->end()) dlist[i] = 1;
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -346,6 +401,7 @@ void DeleteAtoms::delete_porosity(int narg, char **arg)
 void DeleteAtoms::options(int narg, char **arg)
 {
   compress_flag = 1;
+  mol_flag = 0;
 
   int iarg = 0;
   while (iarg < narg) {
@@ -355,6 +411,12 @@ void DeleteAtoms::options(int narg, char **arg)
       else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"no") == 0) compress_flag = 0;
       else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal delete_bonds command");
       iarg += 2;
+    } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg],"mol") == 0) {
+      if (iarg+2 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal delete_bonds command");
+      if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"yes") == 0) mol_flag = 1;
+      else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"no") == 0) mol_flag = 0;
+      else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal delete_bonds command");
+      iarg += 2;
     } else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal delete_bonds command");
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/delete_atoms.h b/src/delete_atoms.h
index a1d8104e88..f091bbbabc 100644
--- a/src/delete_atoms.h
+++ b/src/delete_atoms.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ CommandStyle(delete_atoms,DeleteAtoms)
 #define LMP_DELETE_ATOMS_H
 
 #include "pointers.h"
+#include <map>
 
 namespace LAMMPS_NS {
 
@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@ class DeleteAtoms : protected Pointers {
 
  private:
   int *dlist;
-  int compress_flag;
+  int compress_flag,mol_flag;
+  std::map<int,int> *hash;
 
   void delete_group(int, char **);
   void delete_region(int, char **);
@@ -42,6 +44,12 @@ class DeleteAtoms : protected Pointers {
   inline int sbmask(int j) {
     return j >> SBBITS & 3;
   }
+
+  // static variable for ring communication callback to access class data
+  // callback functions for ring communication
+
+  static DeleteAtoms *cptr;
+  static void molring(int, char *);
 };
 
 }