diff --git a/src/create_atoms.cpp b/src/create_atoms.cpp
index 9c66d1d19b..f070d0a53f 100644
--- a/src/create_atoms.cpp
+++ b/src/create_atoms.cpp
@@ -441,10 +441,12 @@ void CreateAtoms::command(int narg, char **arg)
   MPI_Barrier(world);
   double time1 = platform::walltime();
 
+  // clear global->local map for owned and ghost atoms
   // clear ghost count and any ghost bonus data internal to AtomVec
   // same logic as beginning of Comm::exchange()
   // do it now b/c creating atoms will overwrite ghost atoms
 
+  if (atom->map_style != Atom::MAP_NONE) atom->map_clear();
   atom->nghost = 0;
   atom->avec->clear_bonus();
 
diff --git a/src/read_data.cpp b/src/read_data.cpp
index 7cb1209ed1..757954ff0e 100644
--- a/src/read_data.cpp
+++ b/src/read_data.cpp
@@ -377,10 +377,12 @@ void ReadData::command(int narg, char **arg)
     update->ntimestep = 0;
   } else {
 
+    // clear global->local map for owned and ghost atoms
     // clear ghost count and any ghost bonus data internal to AtomVec
     // same logic as beginning of Comm::exchange()
-    // do it now b/c creating atoms will overwrite ghost atoms
+    // do it now b/c adding atoms will overwrite ghost atoms
 
+    if (atom->map_style != Atom::MAP_NONE) atom->map_clear();
     atom->nghost = 0;
     atom->avec->clear_bonus();
   }