diff --git a/src/input.cpp b/src/input.cpp
index 697095c4ed..5435d66e10 100644
--- a/src/input.cpp
+++ b/src/input.cpp
@@ -186,7 +186,10 @@ void Input::file()
     if (n == 0) {
       if (label_active) error->all(FLERR,"Label wasn't found in input script");
       if (me == 0) {
-        if (infile != stdin) fclose(infile);
+        if (infile != stdin) {
+          fclose(infile);
+          infile = NULL;
+        }
         nfile--;
       }
       MPI_Bcast(&nfile,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
diff --git a/src/lammps.cpp b/src/lammps.cpp
index 76d2280b1e..210baab5d8 100644
--- a/src/lammps.cpp
+++ b/src/lammps.cpp
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ LAMMPS::LAMMPS(int narg, char **arg, MPI_Comm communicator)
 
   screen = NULL;
   logfile = NULL;
+  infile = NULL;
 
   // parse input switches
 
@@ -261,7 +262,6 @@ LAMMPS::LAMMPS(int narg, char **arg, MPI_Comm communicator)
     screen = universe->uscreen;
     logfile = universe->ulogfile;
     world = universe->uworld;
-    infile = NULL;
 
     if (universe->me == 0) {
       if (inflag == 0) infile = stdin;