diff --git a/doc/src/compute_composition_atom.rst b/doc/src/compute_composition_atom.rst
index e973eaa234..c3e6fb7c60 100644
--- a/doc/src/compute_composition_atom.rst
+++ b/doc/src/compute_composition_atom.rst
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ This compute is part of the EXTRA-COMPUTE package.  It is only enabled
 if LAMMPS was built with that package.  See the :doc:`Build package
 <Build_package>` page for more info.
 
+This compute requires :doc:`neighbor styles 'bin' or 'nsq' <neighbor>`.
+
 Related commands
 """"""""""""""""
 
diff --git a/src/EXTRA-COMPUTE/compute_composition_atom.cpp b/src/EXTRA-COMPUTE/compute_composition_atom.cpp
index 47483f760b..976718057f 100644
--- a/src/EXTRA-COMPUTE/compute_composition_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/EXTRA-COMPUTE/compute_composition_atom.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ void ComputeCompositionAtom::init()
                  "use comm_modify cutoff command");
   }
 
-  int cutflag = 1;
   if (force->pair) {
     if (cutoff == 0.0) { cutoff = force->pair->cutforce; }
     if (cutoff <= force->pair->cutforce + skin) cutflag = 0;
@@ -102,10 +101,13 @@ void ComputeCompositionAtom::init()
 
   cutsq = cutoff * cutoff;
 
+  if ((neighbor->style == Neighbor::MULTI) || (neighbor->style == Neighbor::MULTI_OLD))
+    error->all(FLERR, "Compute composition/atom requires neighbor style 'bin' or 'nsq'");
+
   // need an occasional full neighbor list
 
   auto req = neighbor->add_request(this, NeighConst::REQ_FULL | NeighConst::REQ_OCCASIONAL);
-  if (cutflag) req->set_cutoff(cutoff);
+  req->set_cutoff(cutoff);
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */