diff --git a/src/dump_custom.cpp b/src/dump_custom.cpp
index 87b7e85fa4..2aa76586b8 100644
--- a/src/dump_custom.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_custom.cpp
@@ -410,8 +410,7 @@ int DumpCustom::count()
     if (update->whichflag == 0) {
       for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++)
         if (compute[i]->invoked_peratom != update->ntimestep)
-          error->all(FLERR,"Compute used in write_dump between runs "
-                     "is not current");
+          error->all(FLERR,"Compute used in dump between runs is not current");
     } else {
       for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++) {
         if (!(compute[i]->invoked_flag & INVOKED_PERATOM)) {
diff --git a/src/dump_local.cpp b/src/dump_local.cpp
index f4d7fb260e..53094dd5e4 100644
--- a/src/dump_local.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_local.cpp
@@ -231,12 +231,21 @@ int DumpLocal::count()
   int i;
 
   // invoke Computes for local quantities
+  // only if within a run or minimize
+  // else require that computes are current
+  // this prevents a compute from being invoked by the WriteDump class
 
   if (ncompute) {
-    for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++) {
-      if (!(compute[i]->invoked_flag & INVOKED_LOCAL)) {
-        compute[i]->compute_local();
-        compute[i]->invoked_flag |= INVOKED_LOCAL;
+    if (update->whichflag == 0) {
+      for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++)
+        if (compute[i]->invoked_local != update->ntimestep)
+          error->all(FLERR,"Compute used in dump between runs is not current");
+    } else {
+      for (i = 0; i < ncompute; i++) {
+        if (!(compute[i]->invoked_flag & INVOKED_LOCAL)) {
+          compute[i]->compute_local();
+          compute[i]->invoked_flag |= INVOKED_LOCAL;
+        }
       }
     }
   }